


Some Call This Fun

by btp248



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bromance, Drug Use, Drunken Shenanigans, Humor, Love Triangles, Multi, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-16 02:26:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 130,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1328482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/btp248/pseuds/btp248
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a remote Brazilian island, 22 contestants are separated into 2 teams to compete against one another through a series of challenges. But they’ll soon discover that there are more challenges to be had than just the competition. Hook-ups, fights, partying, back stabbing, secrets and lies take center stage as the crew watches their reality show spiral into insanity. Various pairings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet the Crew

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little dated since I originally wrote it years ago before recently picking it back up. So don't be thrown off by references to things like Hurrcane Katrina or DADT being in the same story as Hunger Games references. That's what happens when I drag out writing something haha.

**Disclaimer:** _I_ _’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!_   
  
  


 

 

 

Off the shore of Brazil, on a mysterious and beautiful island (which will remain unnamed for legal purposes), sits an equally beautiful mansion. In that mansion are two men…well two men and a series of camera men, producers, security personnel, an intern and only one doctor which is…concerning…anyway these people are all gathered together for a specific reason…mainly to bitch about their newest gig. The pinnacle of modern television. The dirty secret of the American populace. The reality show.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Wait-all the contestants are dudes? How did THAT happen?”   
  
Lewis Nixon was what one would call a “personality” in that his was a very unique one. He’d started off as a writer for sitcoms and was recruited into reality TV by his producer father. He’d been hosting them ever since.   
  
Richard ‘Dick’ Winters, who was signed on as judge/contestant mentor to the show, liked to think of himself as Nixon’s unspoken (and unpaid) manager. As well as his grossly under appreciated best friend. He shrugged at Nixon’s question, “From what I can tell all of the women we interviewed refused to sign some clause…”  
  
Nixon nodded in sudden understanding at this, “Oh you mean the Decapitation Clause.”   
  
Dick made a face, “The what now?”   
  
“The Decapitation Clause! You know…the one where if you get decapitated we can’t be held responsible and their family can’t sue us?”   
  
Floyd Talbert, the show’s last remaining intern ( aka bitch ) , piped in, “Man you mean we couldn’t find one crazy chick? Not one? I joined this crew to pick up a crazy reality show chick! They always put out!”   
  
“What can I tell you kid?” Nixon smiled, “Them’s the breaks…maybe you'll find a suitably desperate dude?"   
  
Floyd considered this, “Maybe…”   
  
“See? All is well…now go get me some coffee.”   
  
“Man! This is like the 7th time I’ve had to get coffee in the last 30 minutes!”   
  
“Well if you had been smart…you would have quit like all the other interns. Now make with the coffee getting!”   
  
“Damn it!” Floyd walked off, grumbling all the way.   
  
Dick watched him go, “Shouldn’t you be a little nicer to him? I mean he IS the last intern left. All the others one ran off when you started to use them as guinea pigs for challenge scenarios.”   
  
“Where’s he gonna go? He’s an intern! He doesn’t have any money. What is he going to swim back to America? He’s our unofficial slave until this is wrapped. Enjoy it.”   
  
The red-headed man rolled his eyes for what would be the first of many times that day. “I can see why none of the women would sign a Decapitation clause. What’s disturbing is that you found 22 men willing to.”   
  
“Pssh guys are so easy, plus…they have no shame. This is going to be great!”   
  
“I find your enthusiasm concerning.”   
  
“Ah you’re no fun.”   
  
Pursing his lips, Dick eyed the typed up piece of paper that a camera man had passed him. “These are the challenges? In this order? I’m going to be honest with you….these are ridiculous.”   
  
Nixon peered over the shoulder of his taller companion, “No not in that order. Oh that last one’s going to be awesome!”   
  
“How much money are they winning?”   
  
“A hundred grand.”   
  
“I wouldn’t even do one of these for a hundred grand.”   
  
Nixon raised a dark eyebrow, “Like that’s so shocking.”   
  
Suddenly a raised voice floated their way, “ That’s the fucking dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! How FUCKING hard is it to name a TV show something that DOESN’T SUCK? You’re reality television writers- WHAT OTHER WRITING DO YOU DO!?”   
  
Dick and Nixon stared at one of their producers with wide eyes.   
  
Harry Welsh was the co-producer of the show and generally a pretty easy going guy, but considering that the shooting was starting tomorrow and the writers still had no name for the show…he was a little tense.   
  
At the point where Harry had pulled back his arm to smash his phone into the ground, Dick jumped in. “ Harry!” He called out to his friend whose raised arm jerked to a halt at the sound of his name, thus saving Harry’s precious Blackberry.   
  
“Oh hey….guys.” He grinned at them sheepishly.   
  
Nixon spread his arms out in confusion, “Um what the fuck man? Who pissed in your coffee?”   
  
Just then Floyd turned up with Nixon’s coffee. “ I only do that to you.” The intern promised before walking off.   
  
Nixon eyed the cup suspiciously before shrugging, taking a drink and walking over to his producer. “So seriously Harry? What was that?”   
  
The obviously exasperated man’s face twisted into contempt, “Those dipshits still haven’t come up with a name for the show and we fucking shoot tomorrow!”   
  
Nixon’s jaw dropped.   
  
Dick turned to him, “What are you so worried about? All we have to do is a voice over or possibly shoot some extra scenes.”   
  
“It’s not that.” The host choked out.   
  
Harry seemed to calm at Nixon’s new found horror, which wasn’t as surprising as it should be, “What then?”   
  
“I think that little shit really pissed in my coffee.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“How did we score this place anyway?” Dick asked Harry as they did a final walk through of the house to check all the hidden cameras in the rooms. “I thought the island was strictly used for research.”   
  
“Some rich douche built a big ass mansion here under false pretense. W hen Sink found out he blackmailed him into selling it cheap. So now _we_ can be here under false pretense. Not that anyone will care once the show’s over.”   
  
Nixon smiled at the thought of their head producer playing dirty, “Tricky old bastard.”   
  
“But do we really want to be this isolated? That could be dangerous.” Dick pointed out. The other two just turned to stare at him pointedly. “Oh right, that’s what you’re hoping for.”   
  
“Where’s the fun without the danger?” Nixon asked.   
  
“You all are horrible. Well except you, Dick, of course.”   
  
The three men turned to see their only doctor, a young French woman named Renee, regarding them distastefully.   
  
Dick smiled triumphantly at the other two, “See? I’m her favorite.”   
  
Renee laughed, “I just wanted to let you know that my my infirmary is fully functional although I hope I do not need to use it.”   
  
“Well you’re going to have to use it to patch up Talbert when I finally catch the prick.” Nixon growled.   
  
The doctor rolled her eyes in amusement. “ If you must know- he’s hanging out by the pool.” Having said that she walked off.   
  
Nixon grinned at his friends, “See, she’s a little sadistic.”   
  
“So what time are the contestants showing up tomorrow?” Dick asked Harry as Nixon slinked off to confront their intern.   
  
“They’re all on the island now, but we’re bringing them in by car, 4 at a time, around noon tomorrow.”   
  
“Have they already met?”   
  
“No way, they’re separated.”   
  
“Why?”   
  
“Because you don’t want to miss the initial meeting! It’s incredibly important to catch their REAL reactions to one another. Listen, you let me worry about all that junk and you just prepare for your job.”   
  
“Which is _what_ exactly?”   
  
“Keep Nix sane and make sure nobody dies.”   
  
“Oh….that sounds simple enough.”   
  
They turned as laughter and screaming began to erupt from outside. Walking out to the pool they saw a crowd gathering around Nixon, who was sitting on top of Floyd, a pair of scissors dangerously close to Talbert’s precious hair.   
  
“NIXON I WAS JUST KIDDING! I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!”   
  
“Make me believe it!   
  
“I’LL DO ANYTHING! JUST PUT DOWN THE SCISSORS!”   
  
“You know what to say.”   
  
“… .I BOTH ADMIRE AND RESPECT YOU AND YOUR TALENT IS ONLY SURPASSED BY YOUR STRIKING GOOD LOOKS!”   
  
“Good intern.”   
  
Dick was struck by the overwhelming feeling that his job would wind up being _anything_ but simple.   
  
Well as Nixon would say- them’s the breaks. Whatever that meant.   
  
Hopefully the contestants would be saner than the crew…..   
  
  
  
  
  
**Next time:** _We meet the contestants, the contestants meet each other, and we find out the rules of the game. But not the name….because as Harry pointed out about the writers…they suck._

 


	2. Meet the Contestants

**Disclaimer:** _ I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and  _ _**not the actual soldiers** _ _. Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy! _ _  
_   
  
  
It was a few minutes to  noon and the crew was waiting around for their first batch of contestants to arrive. Dick wasn’t really sure what his role was when it came to the whole “mentoring” thing. He wasn’t sure about a lot of things. He didn’t have much experience with reality TV.   
  
“ How exactly do I mentor them?” He asked Nixon.   
  
“ I dunno. Just make sure they don’t break stuff.”   
  
So he was a baby sitter?   
  
He turned to Harry, “Is that what I am? Damage control?”   
  
Harry shook his head, “Just make yourself available to them. Talk with them, find out about their concerns, fears and feelings. Stuff they’d be hesitant to share with the other contestants.”   
  
“ Why?”   
  
“ I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear this. But nothing interesting is going to happen if we don’t know what pushes their buttons. If there isn’t any drama- we need that information t o  make things happen.”   
  
Oh that was  _ so  _ not what Dick had signed up for.   
  
Finally, a black SUV rolled up to the mansion, holding the first 4 contestants, and he put any misgivings he had about his job description on the back burner for the time being.   
  
  
  
  
  


 

The door of the first SUV opened and Donald Malarkey hopped out with a disbelieving smile on his face. “Seriously? You swam across the Niagara?”   
  
Following closely behind was Warren ‘Skip’ Muck, to whom Don was speaking, “Oh hell yeah! On a bet.”   
  
“ Yeah he’ll do anything for money,” joked Alex Penkala, who already knew both Muck and his story, “Which is why this show will be perfect for him.”   
  
“ I won’t do  _ anything  _ for money!” Skip protested.   
  
“ Oh no?” Penkala smirked before jerking his thumb to the lanky blonde exiting the vehicle behind him, “I’ll pay you 10 bucks to punch Cobb.”   
  
Skip perked up, “Face or gut?”   
  
“ Hey asshole!” yelped potential punching bag, Roy Cobb.   
  
“ Oh! Sorry….”   
  
They all hauled their luggage over their shoulders and started to walk towards the house, where Nixon was waiting.   
  
Nixon smiled at them, “Hey guys! You’re the first 4 here so why don’t you take a seat inside while we wait for the others to arrive? Or better yet go claim a room! You got first dibs.”   
  
“ Cool!” Don grinned before looking at Alex and Skip, “Roomies?”   
  
“ Hell yeah.” Skip laughed, slinging an arm around the red-head’s shoulders.   
  
Cobb just rolled his eyes and followed.   
  
Dick watched them walk off before looking over at Nixon, “Won’t they get split up when you announce teams?”   
  
“ One can only hope.”   
  
“ Nix-”   
  
“ What? It’d make for good TV!”   
  
Dick started to protest when Nixon’s face lit up.   
  
“ Ooh more people!”   
  
  
  
  
  
The first to walk up to them from the next batch was a young man with tousled brown hair and   
whose movements Dick could only describe as robotic. He had a  duffel bag in his hand and when he reached them he gazed at them coolly.   
  
“ Where do I put this?” He asked lifting his bag.   
  
Nixon jerked his thumb behind him to the house, “Um…wherever? Pick a room.”   
  
The contestant nodded and walked off.   
  
Nixon leaned over to whisper to Dick, “That’s Ronald Speirs. Harry found him working security at some club in Boston. Just _ had  _ to have him on the show.”   
  
“ He doesn’t seem very social does he?”   
  
Just then two more men walked up. One of them, a tall blonde with striking features, grinned at Dick’s question, “You have no idea! He didn’t say a word on the ride here.”   
  
Joseph Toye looked over at Buck Compton before nodding in agreement, “Yeah. He didn’t even blink the entire time. I swear to Christ I thought he was dead.”   
  
“ Nah I think he was hung over.”   
  
Dick looked at the two men, “Isn’t there supposed to be another person with you?”   
  
Toye and Buck looked behind them and Toye looked confused, “The kid was right behind us a second ago…”   
  
Looking around they spotted a younger blond man standing a ways away and staring up at the sun.   
  
“ Hey Blithe!” Buck called out to him only to be either unheard or ignored, as it appeared Blithe was too fascinated by the sky.   
  
Nixon raised an eyebrow, “Is he retarded?”   
  
Dick gaped, “Nix!” Nixon’s eyes widened and Dick thought he felt bad-for a moment. But he just looked at the nearest camera man and said, “Make sure that gets edited out.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next group, Nixon was delighted to see, already appeared to have an argument going on.   
  
“ You’re not supposed to use your cell phone! I could get you kicked off the show for this.” Herbert Sobel warned his fellow contestant- Joseph Liebgott- who looked anything but intimidated.   
  
“ We’re not even ON the show yet you dickwad! What does it matter if I used my cell phone?”Joe shot back.   
  
Sobel just huffed angrily, “Irregardless of location, cell phones are strictly contraband. I suggest you get rid of it immediately or risk an early departure.”   
  
A twisted smirk came to Joe’s face, “How about I shove it up your-”   
  
“ I think we’re allowed to use them up until the first challenge.” Burton Christenson interrupted from behind the feuding men.   
  
Sobel looked at him sharply, “Oh you think so do you? Well I think you don’t know what the   
hell you’re talking about.”   
  
“ Don’t talk to him like that asshole!” Joe growled.   
  
Carwood Lipton decided to intervene and casually worked his body in a position to block Joe’s path to Sobel in the fear that the smaller man might actually try to disembowel the other contestant with his phone.   
  
“ Let’s all just calm down and save some for the competition, okay?” he asked holding his hands up in a placating manner.   
  
Nixon just grinned like a maniac as his eyes darted between Liebgott and Sobel, “Oh I like them already.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Kid are you sure you’re okay?” David Webster looked at the red-head ed teen sitting next to him in the car.   
  
“ Yeah-sure- why do you ask?”   
  
“ Because you’re shaking and talking really fast.”   
  
Edward ‘Babe’ Heffron just smiled, “Oh that? That’s because some guy gave me this thing and said it was just like a Red Bull-but better. Only it totally wasn’t! It tasted like crap and now I’m super hyper! I probably shouldn’t have been at that bar anyway since I’m only 17 but don’t tell anyone okay!”   
  
Webster just smiled, “Okay.”   
  
Charles Grant looked equally amused as he studied the jittery, young man, “17? I guess that seems right. You’re a little young to be out here aren’t you?”   
  
Babe shrugged…or maybe he twitched…Grant wasn’t sure.   
  
“ I think you have to be at least 18.” Darrell Powers said from the seat in front of them. He looked at the other contestants who nodded at him.   
  
“ I SWEAR I’ll be 18 in a month. Darrell please don’t say anything!”   
  
Darrell looked at the other two in the car once more before smiling at Babe, “We can keep a secret. And y’all can call me Shifty. It’s my nickname back home.”   
  
Babe’s face lit up with a huge smile, “Thanks! You can call me Babe! Everyone does. Well…everyone I know. Except nuns! They always have to call be me by my real name. My real name sucks! Why do they call you Shifty? Is there like a story behind that? Do either of you guys have nicknames? Whoa! Did the car just stop moving? That felt weird. Did that feel weird to anyone else?   
  
The three of them just laughed and got out of the car, knowing they’d all keep their mouths shut about Babe’s little secret.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dick noticed that Nixon seemed slightly disappointed at the friendly group that they had just sent into the house. He smiled at the host, “You can’t expect them to  _ all  _ fight can you?”   
  
“ Expect? No. Dream? Yes. With any luck Liebgott will punch Sobel before the day’s through.”   
  
Dick shook his head, “Bull and Johnny wouldn’t let that happen.” He was referring to Bull   
Randleman and Johnny Martin- their heads of security.   
  
Nixon scoffed, “We only pay them to break up fights already in progress. Plus I don’t think even THEY will want to get in that guy’s way when he blows up. He’s a firecracker for sure.”   
  
The movement of their camera man alerted them to the incoming contestants.   
  
“ Do you like,  _ hear  _ better than other people?”   
  
Donald Hoobler glared at the blond man questioning him, “What? No! Would you shut up about my ears already? I get it-they're big!”   
  
William Evans just nodded, his mouth hanging open as he studied Hoobler’s ears, “I bet they were huge when you were a baby!”   
  
Bill Guarnere, who was walking along side them, just stared at Evans in disbelief, “Do you even hear yourself talk?”   
  
“ Um…wha?”   
  
“ I guess you don’t.”   
  
Hoobler smiled at Bill, “Maybe that’s why he’s so fascinated by my ears?”   
  
“ Yeah! Wait...” Evans trailed off, not really sure what was going on.   
  
Nixon listened to Evans talk and looked at Dick, “Now  t _ hat  _ one might  _ actually  _ be retarded.”   
  
Dick put a hand to his forehead, “We’re going to get so many angry e-mails.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ How many are we waiting on?” Harry asked as he walked by with his phone to his ear.   
  
“ Um 3? There’s 19…so yeah we’re just waiting on 3.” Dick replied.   
  
Nixon poked Dick in the ribs before pointing at the driveway, “Not anymore.”   
  
The last of the contestants were headed their way, 2 conversing loudly.   
  
“ I don’t care how much they pay us! I’m not eating any kind of animal testicle!”   
  
“ HA! I bet that’s the first thing they make us do. That way they can get all these people to puke, knowing they won’t even make it to the next round.”   
  
“ That’d be fucked up!”   
  
“ Man if you’re going to be on reality TV-you need to have a good gag reflex my friend. Like me! It just takes practice.” George Luz nodded to himself.   
  
Frank Perconte stared at him, “I don’t even wanna know do I?”   
  
“ Definitely not.”   
  
The man trailing behind them just smiled-silently amused. Eugene Roe wasn’t much of a talker, and whenever he found himself around someone with as much personality as Luz seemed to have, he let them have the stage.   
  
He’d decided before he’d arrived that while he wasn’t opposed to having fun, making friends would only complicate things. For now…it would be best for him to lay low.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry had gotten the contestants to wait in the living room of the house after they had picked rooms. Once the final 3 had stashed their belongings, all 21 of them were assembled.   
  
Dick was incredibly impressed by how silent they were all being, wait…21?   
  
“ Crap.” Nixon muttered, “Where the hell is Blithe?”   
  
Buck shrugged, “Staring at the sun again?”   
  
“ Maybe he’s an alien longing for his home world.” Luz suggested playfully.   
  
Buck smiled in confusion, “What?”   
  
“ Yeah dude like in K-Pax! That dude was always looking at the sun!”   
  
Perconte shook his head, “Man that movie sucked.”   
  
“ It’s wasn’t so bad.” Buck said,  his s mile still aimed at Luz, “What was your name?”   
  
Nixon looked around helplessly, “TALBERT!”   
  
Floyd-who had already started hitting on Liebgott, whom he had mildly cornered, jerked at the sound of his name.   
  
Nixon sighed, “Go find Blithe!”   
  
“ Fine.” Talbert pouted and slumped away.   
  
He’d thank Nixon later, seeing as Liebgott looked liked he’d been about to strangle him.   
  
The host turned back to the rest of the contestants, “Hello everyone! My name’s Lewis Nixon and I’m going to be your host!”   
  
He grabbed Dick’s elbow and pulled him forward, “This is Dick Winters and he’s going to help judge our challenges! If you guys have any questions go to him. NOT me.”   
  
Dick wiggled out of his grasp and tried to smile warmly at the 21,make that 22 (Talbert had ushered Blithe back into the mix), young men.   
  
Nixon kept talking, “Welcome to Brazil and to the house where you will all be staying for the rest of the competition! Did everyone get settled into a room?”   
  
At the multiple nods he received Nixon just smiled, “Well then I guess now would be a good time to tell you not to get too cozy with your roommates as we’ll now be splitting the 22 of you up into 2 separate teams.”   
  
“ What?” Malarkey spoke up, “that sucks!”   
  
“ Yeah it does.” Nixon replied, “Anyway let me explain how this is going to work. You’ll be split up into 2 teams. A red team and a blue team. Not original I know-but I’m just the host. Once you’re split up both teams will have to compete against one another in challenges. The team that loses the challenge will then have to take a vote to determine who they want off their team. The 2 people with the most votes will then compete in a one-on-one challenge where the loser will be kicked off the island. FOREVER!”   
  
Nixon threw his hands up for dramatic affect but the contestants weren’t having it, “Ahem…right well let’s split you guys up!”   
  
Dick stepped forward, a list with the team assignments in his hands, “Okay for the red team we have- Lipton, Toye, Luz, Blithe, Christenson, Cobb, Penkala, Perconte, Compton, Speirs and Grant.”   
  
Nixon took over from there, “And for the blue team-”   
  
Liebgott interrupted him, “Everyone that isn’t on the red team?”   
  
“ Yeah you don’t really have to say it,” Bill added.   
  
Nixon glared at them, “Yes I do! It helps identify and categorize you to the viewers!”   
  
“ Identify and categorize?” Evans parroted back.   
  
Skip gave the host an incredulous look, “What are we, fossils?”   
  
“ ANYWAY” Nixon continued, “The blue team consists of Webster, Guarnere, Powers, Heffron, Muck, Hoobler, Roe, Evans, Liebgott, Sobel, and Malarkey.”   
  
Joe looked at Sobel and groaned, “You’ve got to be shitting me.”   
  
Nixon beamed at him, “I’m not. Not yet anyway. I’d love to let you socialize, but first we have to figure out who’s going to be the Captains of your teams.”   
  
“ We have to have Captains? Lame.” Skip muttered.   
  
“ Yeah,” Webster agreed, “Is that really necessary?”   
  
Nix shrugged, “Them’s the rules. Now everyone go upstairs and change into your nifty colored coded gear!”   
  
“ Why?” Lipton asked.   
  
Their host just smirked, “We feel the fairest way to assign a team Captain is to make you compete for it! Be dressed and ready by 3:00 pm!”   
  
Nixon walked off, Dick flashed them all a sympathetic look and followed him.   
  
Babe puffed his cheeks out as he watched them go, “Blue is not a good color for me.”   
  
  
  
  
  
**Next time:** It’s all about the contestants as they get to know each other and compete for the Captain’s position-the importance of which is revealed. Then they all proceed to get sloshed.

 


	3. Oh Captain My Captain?

**Disclaimer:** _ I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and  _ _**not the actual soldiers** _ _. Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy! _   
  
Also the idea of the awake-a-thon is from Total Drama Island    
  
  
  
  
  


  
It wasn’t as if Lipton expected everyone to take off running- the way that they did when he watched such competitions on TV. But he guessed he expected something more than the indifference and onslaught of bitching that came the moment Nixon was out of sight.   
  
Since he wasn’t sure who everyone on his team was, he just slid pass the crowd of people and made an escape up to the room he was sharing with Christenson and two others he didn’t know.   
  
If he was lucky not only would his room be empty, but the camera men would be more interested in the ruckus downstairs than in following him.   
  
He wasn’t really sure how he was going to do this. Live with all these people and be constantly watched. The only reason he had agreed to even audition for the damn thing was because his brother had wanted to.   
  
When he had gotten accepted and not his brother, he had been more than eager to drop out. But Chris had been so excited…and there was no way Lipton could disappoint his kid brother. So that escape route had been cut off.   
  
When he got up to his room- his hope that it would be empty wasn’t to be. The bed across from his was being stared at by a lean, dark haired man.   
  
Lipton curled his nose at the smell of cigarette smoke. Knowing his luck he’d be the only non-smoker on the whole show.   
  
“ Hey buddy, um, do you mind opening a window? Or maybe you could smoke outside?” he waved a hand in front of his face to clear the air, just glad not to be sleeping directly next to the other mans’ bed.   
  
At his suggestion his unknown roommate turned away from scrutinizing the assortment of red clothing laid out before him and regarded Lipton for a moment with dark eyes, cigarette in his hand.   
  
Lipton noticed the red clothing, meaning that this man was on his assigned team. He also noted, quite uncomfortably, that the other man was still silently staring at him.   
  
Finally, the dark haired man licked his finger and snuffed out his cigarette, tucking it behind his ear and walking over and opening the nearest window.   
  
It wasn’t what Lipton had been expecting, but he was grateful.   
  
“ Thanks.” He nodded to the man who just shrugged at him. Sitting on his bed Lipton fiddled with one of the red shirts on his pillow. “I’m Lipton by the way. Well Carwood Lipton, but my first name is pretty hideous so you can just call me Lipton.”   
  
He saw the other man’s back straighten for a moment, “Ron Speirs.”   
  
Lipton nodded at the supplied name, “Ron Speirs. You’re um…not much of a talker I take it?”   
  
Another shrug, “I have a hangover.”   
  
Lipton sighed as Speirs rummaged through his bag silently before finding a bottle of Advil and walking off, red shirt in hand, to the bathroom.   
  
“ That went well…”   
  
  


  
  


  
  
  
  


  
  


  
  
“ Man I am sooooooooo thirsty. Where’s the kitchen? There is a kitchen right? I really, really need a glass of water.”   
  
Babe’s throat was sore, his head hurt, he was dizzy and he wasn’t sure how to stop his arm from twitching.   
  
In hindsight, this could have been prevented. He could have NOT run away from home or lied (about oh so many things) to get on a TV show. And he could have not gone partying with those sorority girls in Brazil before getting on his boat.   
  
And in hindsight, guys with green hair are NOT your friends, that was not a red bull and if the numbers falling off that clock were any indication, those square pills were NOT for headaches.   
  
He wished he could say what was done was done, but it kind of wasn’t. Because now he was thirsty, he wasn’t sure who these people were and he couldn’t find the goddamn kitchen!   
  
Suddenly he felt a soft poke on his arm and looked over to see Shifty standing there offering him a bottle of water, “Here you go.”   
  
Babe smiled and grabbed the water with a shaky hand, “Thanks man. Um do you remember where I put my stuff?”   
  
Shifty’s eyebrows raised, but he nodded, “Yeah the room with the green sheets, same as me.”   
  
Babe nodded before opening the water and guzzling half of it down before taking a deep breath.   
  
Water had NEVER tasted so freaking good. Usually he hated water. It was gross and had no taste. But this was like freaking miracle water that tasted kind of like orange juice.   
  
Haha right….water that tastes like orange juice. Just like there was  _ really  _ a sea lion on the couch. Sucking down the rest of the water he smiled brightly at Shifty, “Right then. Thanks for the water- I should go change.”   
  
  
  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  
  
Floyd was getting nowhere fast. He’d tried talking to Blithe earlier but the guy had been totally uninterested. Spotting Liebgott outside smoking he walked over to try his luck again.   
  
Joe spotted him coming and groaned, “Don’t you have some other shit to do? Like-away from me?”   
  
Talbert just smiled, “Well I saw you out here and thought you might be lonely. Or is that like your thing? Being the loner?”   
  
“ Yeah sure, that’s my thing, whatever. Now fuck off.”   
  
“ What? You don’t like my company?”   
  
“ Uh no?”   
  
“ Your eyes say yes.”   
  
“ Hmm what does my foot up your ass say?”   
  
Floyd just smiled, not sure if Liebgott’s aggression was a good thing or not. He opened his mouth to speak but another voice cut him off.   
  
“ Liebgott,  right ? Shouldn’t you get changed?  W e don’t have that long.”   
  
Floyd looked behind him to see David Webster approaching. Definitely cute….but not really crazy. He’d be a waste of time to hit on.   
  
Talbert would have stayed but he saw a camera coming up behind Webster and knew that was his cue to exit. He aimed a cocky smile at Joe, “I’ll catch you later.”   
  
Liebgott just blew smoke in his face, “Drop dead.”   
  
Webster watched Talbert take off coughing before looking at Joe, “That wasn’t very nice.”   
  
“ Can I help you?”   
  
Webster just shrugged and jerked a thumb back towards the house, “Everyone’s getting ready. I saw you out here and thought I’d let you know since you’re on my team. I’m David Webster, by   
the way.”   
  
Liebgott just rolled his eyes, “That’s nice. But I have eyes Web and I’ll get ready when I feel like it.”   
  
Webster just frowned, “I actually prefer being called David.”   
  
“ Like I care. Look can I puh- _ lease  _ smoke in peace?”   
  
Webster just stared at him, not able to believe anyone could be so rude. When Liebgott saw him still standing there he sighed, “Jesus. I’m outta here.”   
  
Webster watched him walk off and was soon left alone with the camera, “What an asshole!”   
  
“ How does that make you feel?” The camera man asked-remembering Nixon’s advice to elicit reactions from the contestants.   
  
“ Oh stay out of it.” Webster snapped at him before going back inside.   
  
  
  
  
  
Joe Toye figured he had gotten pretty lucky. He and Buck had decided to room together and their other two roommates were both on their team.   
  
He had just changed into the gym shorts and red T-shirt laid out on his bed when he heard a groan behind him.   
  
He turned to see the short brunette that Buck had been talking with earlier-Luz.   
  
Luz was holding up the red shirt that was a tad too large for him, “Being short fucking blows.”   
  
Toye laughed, “Well I wouldn’t know anything about that.”   
  
Luz made a face, “Rub it in why don’t ya? Hey you think Frank’s is smaller?”   
  
“ Who’s Frank?”   
  
“ Oh he’s the  _ really  _ short guy. That’s his bed right there.”   
  
Toye watched, amused, as Luz slinked over to the bed next to his and started comparing clothes, “Hmm but do you really want to steal from someone even more vertically challenged than yourself?”   
  
Luz laughed and sent his first honest smile over at the taller man, “I like that. Vertically challenged. And yes. You will soon discover that I have no shame.”   
  
Toye laughed as Luz snatched a smaller shirt off the bed, “That’s good to know.”   
  
  
  
  
  
By sheer bad luck, Bill had wound up in the same room as Evans. What was worse-only he didn’t know it yet, was that he was in the same room as Sobel as well.   
  
But Hoobler wasn’t too bad, although he highly doubted the other man would be pleased about bunking with the ear enthusiast.   
  
However as soon as he got to his room, he found that Evans already had something else to be fascinated over.   
  
“ Chicago? That’s in Indiana right?”   
  
Sobel just looked at the blonde, his eyes widening a bit, “No. It isn’t. It’s in Illinois.”   
  
“ What’s the difference?”   
  
Bill just shook his head and decided to let Sobel deal with Evans on his own. Pulling a blue shirt over his other white tee he wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or disturbed by the way Sobel was calmly dealing with Evans.   
  
Sobel, for his part, didn’t see a dimwitted blonde when he looked at Evans. He saw clay that could be molded. Evans obviously wasn’t getting off to a good start with the others. All he had to do was befriend him and he would have his first ally. Then all he needed was to find someone else that was lacking in the buddy department and he would have an alliance.   
  
It was going to be too easy.   
  
  
  
  
  
Nixon looked over to where the crew had assembled the contestants on the beach. They had set out logs as benches for each team.   
  
After all the contestants had been instructed to sit, Nixon stood in between them and began to explain their challenge.   
  
“ Welcome contestants-to your first challenge. As you’ve been told, today you will not be competing against the opposite team, but against your  _ ow _ _ n  _ teammates! At the end of this challenge, no one will be eliminated. However each team will then have a Captain-”   
  
Grant snorted, “Big deal.”   
  
Nixon glared, “It is a big deal if you would just let me finish!”   
  
“ Fine.”   
  
“ Good. Now the Captain’s position is important for several reasons. First off Captains are responsible for rallying their team, presenting a united front-“   
  
“ That’s lame!”   
  
“ Grant shut up!” Nixon snapped. Babe just giggled insanely and everyone stared as he fell off the log he was sitting on.   
  
“ Anyway-” Nixon continued, “as I was  _ saying  _ the Captain will only rally his team. And while he can’t actually make his teammates listen to him he will have a certain amount of power that they don’t. For one the Captain’s vote in any elimination gathering counts twice. He can also pardon one of the bottom contestants and take their place, like  _ that’s  _ gonna happen. Lastly in the unlikely case that a team votes entirely for one person, cause I doubt anyone would vote for themselves, or there is a three way tie, the captain can choose who to send into the head to head challenge. Now do you understand why it’s important?”   
  
Perconte just looked bored, “That took entirely too long to explain.”   
  
“ Yeah,” Cobb grimaced, “I hate to agree with the midget but you really need to learn how to get to the point.”   
  
“ Did you just call me a fucking midget?”   
  
Cobb just rolled his eyes, “What, you aren’t?”   
  
Luz kicked sand over at Cobb, “Shut up asshole.”   
  
Sobel honed in on the fight taking place within the other team like a hawk. Having a connection on the red team could definitely be useful. He’d have to try and talk to Cobb later. It shouldn’t be too hard from the looks of it no one on his team wanted to talk to him.   
  
Muck raised his hand to get Nixon’s attention, “Um what exactly are we doing?”   
  
Nixon pulled his eyes away from the verbal assault on Cobb to answer, “Right. Here’s how it   
goes. We’ve decided that the fairest competition to determine the Captains would be something that everyone has an equal chance of winning.”   
  
“ Which is?” Don asked.   
  
“ I like to call it the Awake-a-thon! But the producers are still consulting our dumbass writers about that name.”   
  
“ Nix!” Dick hissed from behind a camera man.   
  
Nixon ignored him and clapped his hands together, “The challenge is simple. Whoever stays awake the longest is the team Captain. Only catch is that you have to stay out here…where we   
can see you.”   
  
“ What if we have to piss?” Penkala asked, suddenly super aware of that soda he drank earlier.   
  
“ Umm we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it?”   
  
“ What so that’s it?” Christenson looked around, “We just stay awake?”   
  
Nixon smiled, “Yeah well we’ll see how many of you are awake in 10 hours. It’s only 3:30pm after all.”   
  
  
  
  
  


**1st Hour**

  
  
  
Penkala looked over at the other team longingly. Sure he and Muck were rooming together-but to not even be put on the same team? That was just cruel.   
  
He watched as Skip made Don laugh over something that was probably totally not even funny. Don probably didn’t even get Skip’s jokes.   
  
Great…now he was getting jealous. That wasn’t good.   
  
He looked over to where Luz had pulled out a deck of cards.   
  
“ Well boys-it’s going to be a long night. Who’s up for a little five card draw?”   
  
Toye plopped down next to him, “I’m game.”   
  
Buck smiled and sat down on Luz’s other side and gave him a grin, “Me too. But I’ll warn you. I’m actually pretty good.”   
  
Luz sighed dramatically, “Oh no! You’re  _ good _ ? Well I’ll just quit now and spare myself the humiliation.”   
  
Buck rolled his eyes as the others laughed.   
  
Christenson watched Luz shuffle, curious, “I only know how to play go-fish.”   
  
Penkala gaped at him, “Seriously?”   
  
“ Then you’re definitely in.” Luz motioned for him to sit.   
  
Lipton watched some of the guys gather around Luz, before shrugging and heading over.   
  
The small brunette looked up at him, “You in?”   
  
Lipton shrugged, “Nah just thought I’d watch.”   
  
“ You wanna help me cheat?” Luz joked before getting flicked in the knee by Toye. Lipton just smiled and settled in next to a miserable looking Cobb.   
  
He was more than a little surprised when Speirs walked over and looked down on the assembled contestants, “Are you betting anything?”   
  
Buck and Luz shared a look. “Not yet,” Luz said, “we’ll let Christenson learn the rules first.”   
  
Speirs just nodded and sat on the ground next to Lipton’s feet and leaned back against the log.   
  
Christenson watched Speirs out of the corner of his eye, curious of the way he was   
scrutinizing the card game.   
  
Luz snapped his fingers, “Christenson pay attention man!”   
  
“ Sorry!”   
  
  
  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  
  
“ Maybe someone should see if he’s okay?” Webster looked over at where Babe was laying on the sand and kicking his feet into the air.   
  
Shifty nodded, “Yeah. But he said it was something he drank. Shouldn’t he be better by now?”   
  
Gene looked away from what he had just assumed had been a total loony and listened in on the two whispering men.   
  
Webster looked deep in thought for a moment. “Well he only let it slip about his age…maybe there’s something he neglected to mention?”   
  
Curiosity got the better of him and Gene spoke up, “What did he drink?”   
  
The two men looked over at him-startled.   
  
“ Sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just thought I could help.” Gene explained.   
  
Webster just shrugged, “He didn’t say. Just said some guy gave it to him. I don’t think he knew what it was.”   
  
Gene nodded, “I can’t think of any drink with that long of a lasting effect. It has to be something else.”   
  
Shifty sighed, “Let’s try talking to him.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
“ Dude that’s nothing!” Hoobler said- interrupting Don’s story about joy riding on his high school principal’s motorcycle. “I stole a cop car once.”   
  
Liebgott looked at him lazily from where he was sprawled across a log, “Big deal. I blew up a   
cop car once.”   
  
Don, Skip, Hoobler and Bill all stared at him. Bill opened his mouth first, “You’re shitting me.”   
  
Liebgott shook his head, “Nah, my grandpa was in WWII, he had all these relics and shit. I stole one of these grenades he had in his basement, took it to the local police station, and set it off under an extra cruiser. Ka-fucking-boom. It was awesome.”   
  
Bill raised an eyebrow, “What the fuck did your grandpa have a grenade in his basement for?”   
  
Joe shrugged, “He was psychotic man. He had all sorts of crazy shit.”   
  
Don smirked and leaned in towards Skip, “I think it’s genetic.”   
  
Skip just nodded, still gaping at Liebgott.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**2nd Hour**

  
  
  
“ Alright, I say we raise the ante a bit.” Luz shuffled the cards again. “Who’s up for it?”   
  
Christenson shook his head, “No way. I suck too much still.”   
  
Grant put his chin in his hand, “What do you have in mind?”   
  
“ Well I doubt anyone has that much cash on them. Any one got any cigarettes?”   
  
Just as Lipton suspected, everyone nodded. He was going to die of secondhand smoke.   
  
Luz grinned, “Perfect. We’ll use them to bet. But something else...”   
  
Buck looked over, “What?”   
  
“ When you’re out…you have to drop out of the challenge.”   
  
Toye shook his head, “You really don’t have any shame.”   
  
Luz smirked as he pulled out his cigarettes, “What can I say? I’m an opportunist.”   
  
Speirs scooted away from Lipton and into the circle of poker players, “I’m in.”   
  
  
  
  
  
“ Okay it’s been an hour….I don’t think we’re getting through to him.” Shifty sighed as he   
watched Babe swipe at the air with his fingers.   
  
“ Oh really? You don’t think so?” Webster grumbled.   
  
“ Now who’s not being nice?” Joe asked as he walked up behind the frustrated man.   
  
Webster just glared, “What do you want?”   
  
Liebgott shrugged, “Thought I’d come see what you guys were looking at.”   
  
Gene just watched the red head curiously. He had said plenty over the last hour-just nothing useful. He had to wonder what the young man was normally like.   
  
Liebgott snorted and Shifty frowned, “What’s so funny?”   
  
“ Well you all want to know what’s wrong with him right?”   
  
“ Wow maybe they’ll make you the Captain of stating the obvious,” Webster snapped.   
  
Joe ignored him and leaned down to look at Babe, “He’s obviously tripping. How come none of you noticed?”   
  
Gene just sighed, “Actually I did notice.”   
  
Shifty sighed, “Why didn’t you say anything?”   
  
“ I don’t know the situation. I don’t want to get him into any trouble. Plus I’m not sure what he’s on.”   
  
Webster looked at him curiously, “And how can you be sure?”   
  
Gene sighed, “By watching his symptoms. Which is what I’ve been trying to do for the past hour, but I’m still not sure. If I had to guess I’d say LSD.”   
  
Liebgott looked down at Babe once more, “If he’s on LSD his pupils will be dilated, his skin should be hot, and he’ll probably win this challenge.”   
  
“ Why’s that?”Webster asked.   
  
“ That shit keeps you awake.” Liebgott answered.   
  
“ And how would you know that?”   
  
Liebgott just turned to walk off, “Check him out. If you think that’s what he’s on you’ll know for sure once you check.”   
  
Webster watched him go suspiciously.   
  
Gene knelt down, “Hey Babe? How do you feel?”   
  
Babe just stared at the sky, “That’s the coolest sound I’ve ever seen!”   
  
“ Yeah he’s on LSD.”   
  
Gene sighed, “I’ll take him to the doctor. If he took that with alcohol he could get   
seriously ill.”   
  
Shifty tilted his head to the side, “Are you sure? That’s means you’d have to leave.”   
  
Gene shrugged, “I’m not really Captain material anyway.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**4th Hour**

  
  
  
“ Full house! Haha sucks to be you Grant.”   
  
“ Damn it!” Grant cursed as he watched his last cigarettes disappear. That round had been dragging on but he had finally lost out.   
  
“ Tough break.” Toye smirked as Grant stood up to go forfeit.   
  
As soon as he started walking, Grant tripped, “What the fuck?”   
  
They all looked over behind him to see Blithe staring up at the sky still only this time he was laying on the ground.   
  
“ Is he dead?” Penkala asked  before  eyeing his new cards.   
  
Grant nudged at Blithe with his foot, “Nah he’s breathing.”   
  
Suddenly Buck let out a laugh, “Aw man!”   
  
“ What?”   
  
“ He’s sleeping!”   
  
Grant just looked at Blithe again, “But his eyes are open….oh no way!”   
  
“ Hey I guess you don’t have to be a loser by yourself!”   
  
“ Shut up Luz.”   
  
  
  
  
  


**5th Hour**

  
  
  
Don was bored. He was like, really fucking bored. He didn’t even care about this stupid challenge.   
  
He looked over at Skip who was making faces at Alex, who was obviously struggling to focus on his card game. “Hey let’s just quit.”   
  
Skip looked over at him, “Can we do that?”   
  
Don nodded, “Well they let Gene drop out to take that kid to the infirmary. And one of the guys on the red team quit…so yeah I think we can quit.”   
  
“ Well then  l et’s go find some alcohol.”   
  
Don hopped up and waved at Nixon, “Yeah this is retarded. We forfeit.”   
  
Skip nodded and hollered over toward the red team, “Hey Penk- wanna go get wasted?”   
  
Alex looked up, “Hell yeah.”   
  
He threw down his cards and walked off.   
  
Nixon stared after them, they couldn’t just quit! Damn it! This challenge was not going well.   
  
He hollered after them, “You guys have NO COMPETITIVE SPIRIT!”   
  
Dick looked over at him from where he was observing the other contestants, “What are you getting so upset over? You had a guy sleeping with his eyes open, an elimination poker tournament, and a kid strung out on LSD.”   
  
Nixon smiled, “See that’s what I love about you Dick. You know how to put things into perspective.”   
  
“ You’re welcome.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**6th Hour**

  
  
  
“ I’m all in.” Perconte tossed the last of his cigarettes into the pot.   
  
“ So am I,” Luz grumbled.   
  
Speirs gave them both a long look, “I’ll raise.”   
  
Toye groaned, “Man…you would. Fine I’m all in too.”   
  
Buck was the only person to fold, “Alright show em.”   
  
They all laid their cards down.   
  
Luz cursed when he saw Speirs’ hand, “A royal flush? Fuuuck! I did not see that one coming.”   
  
“ Damn man. You just took all 3 of us out.”   
  
Speirs shrugged and collected the cigarettes. “Just me and you Buck.”   
  
Toye grabbed Luz’s sleeve and tugged him forward, “Let’s go get a drink.”   
  
Luz hopped up, “Excellent idea. Y’all have fun.”   
  
Buck watched Luz and Toye go with a frown. Well there went both his one friend and the most interesting person on his team.   
  
Oh well….the game couldn’t go on that much longer anyway.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Man,” Hoobler yawned, “I’m actually starting to get sleepy.”   
  
Bill raised an eyebrow, “It’s only 9:00pm.”   
  
“ Yeah but I’ve been up since 7 this morning.”   
  
“ Sounds like a personal problem.”   
  
Webster shook his head, “Forget being sleepy. I’m kind of hungry. I can’t believe they aren’t   
going to let us eat!”   
  
Sobel rolled his eyes, “That wouldn’t make it a difficult challenge would it?”   
  
Liebgott just glared, “Shut up. You’re both annoying.”   
  
Shifty sighed, “I wonder how Babe is doing.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Ugh I want to fucking go home!”   
  
Gene looked over at the thrashing teen from where he had been talking with the doctor, “He was so happy a second ago. But I guess that’s normal with LSD-right?”   
  
Renee looked up at the young man, “You seem to know an awful lot about this.”   
  
Gene shrugged-worried eyes still on Babe, “I volunteer at the free clinic back home. We get a lot of crazy stuff.”   
  
“ Where are you from?”   
  
“ New Orleans.”   
  
Renee was quiet for a moment and Gene sighed, “It’s not that bad…not for me at least. But that’s why I’m here. If I win the money I can help out the clinic. It helps so many people…if it gets shut down…”   
  
Renee nodded, “I understand.”   
  
Gene shook his head, “Right now I think we should just worry about Babe.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**7th Hour**

  
  
  
Lipton and Christenson watched the poker game progress in amazement.   
  
“ Shouldn’t someone have lost by now?” Christenson asked, still not squared off on the rules.   
  
“ Neither of them will go all in. And neither has gotten a winning hand twice in a row.”   
  
“ Yikes.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Nooo! Anything but that! I fucking hate that song.” Luz complained   
  
“ Well then you pick something! All the rest of this shit is in Spanish anyway!” Skip groaned   
as he fiddled with the radio in the living room.   
  
“ Don’t they speak Brazilian?” Grant asked as he took another shot of vodka. Damn they had A LOT of liquor here.   
  
“ What the fuck is Brazilian?” Toye asked, confused.   
  
“ Isn’t it a bikini wax?” Blithe asked from where he was huddled on an arm chair.   
  
“ Oh-my-God! He can talk!” Don laughed.   
  
“ They speak Portuguese!” Penkala piped up.   
  
Luz pointed at Alex, “If you know that then you aren’t drunk enough!”   
  
Frank took another swig of beer, “Portuguese-Spanish…what’s the difference?”   
  
Buck strolled in just as Luz went off to grab the vodka, “About the same as a midget and a really short guy.”   
  
“ Hey! Speirs finally got you!” Grant called.   
  
Buck shrugged and sat down next to Toye who leaned over and whispered, “I have it on good authority that they prefer the term ‘vertically challenged’.”   
  
“ Duly noted.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**9th Hour**

  
  
  
Speirs just drummed his fingers on his knee, wondering what time it was. The poker game hadn’t been very hard. He probably could have ended it sooner, but then he wouldn’t have anything to occupy his time.   
  
Like right now…he wasn’t doing anything. He looked over at Lipton, who was only a few feet away.   
  
“ Do you not know how to play poker either?” he asked, somewhat curious, but mostly bored.   
  
Lipton glanced over at him, “That’s the most I’ve ever heard you say.”   
  
“ Well can you play or not?”   
  
“ Yea I can play.”   
  
“ Then why didn’t you?”   
  
“ I knew it would cost me eventually. I don’t really like to gamble.”   
  
Speirs nodded and idly picked up one of his many, many cigarettes, “Can I smoke out here?”   
  
Lipton sighed, “Yeah. You don’t need my permission.”   
  
“ But would it bother you?”   
  
The blonde paused, “Honestly?”   
  
Speirs nodded, not sure why he even cared.   
  
“ Yea it would bother me.”   
  
“ Then I won’t do it.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**10th Hour**

  
  
  
  
“ I can’t take this anymore! I’m starving!” Webster said for what he was sure was the billionth time.   
  
“ What’s the big deal? It hasn’t been that long. It’s only been like- what- 10 hours?” Liebgott reminded him for what  _ he  _ w as sure was the billionth time.   
  
“ I know! I can’t go that long without eating. It’s not healthy. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”   
  
Liebgott sat up, “The fuck’s that supposed to mean?”   
  
Webster let his eyes take in Liebgott’s scrawny frame, “It means you probably wouldn’t know a sandwich if it hit you in the face. Do you  _ ever  _ eat?”   
  
Liebgott just gave him the finger and turned back to talk to Guarnere.   
  
Webster sighed as Sobel sat down next to him. “Don’t mind him. He gets pissed off if you tell him the sky is blue.”   
  
Webster just glared at the other man before getting up to go and forfeit.   
  
Sobel didn’t really care whether Webster liked him or not at this point, he was out of the challenge and that was good enough.   
  
Pretty soon the sound of Evan’s snoring hit his ears followed by a large yawn from Hoobler. Perfect.   
  
  
  
  
  


**11th Hour**

  
  
  
Christenson yawned, “Man I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake.”   
  
Cobb just shrugged, “Then go to sleep.”   
  
“ Ha yeah right.”   
  
“ I for one could use some coffee.”  s aid Lipton.   
  
“ We’re only tired because we have nothing to distract us,” Speirs informed them, “I bet the guys inside are still awake.”   
  
Christenson shook his head, “No way. They’ve gotta be asleep.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Does that look like a helicopter to you!?”   
  
Penkala just shrugged, “Well then why were you waving your arms around?”   
  
Skip sighed, “I was being a BIRD!”   
  
Malarkey just looked confused, “Why are we playing charades anyway?”   
  
  
  
  
“ 13-corner pocket.”   
  
“ No way! You can’t make that.”   
  
“ Watch me…just watch me,”   
  
Toye shook his head, “Nah Perco-impossible…it’d probably be easier to make if Blithe wasn’t passed out on the pool table though.”   
  
Frank sighed, “It’d probably be easier to win if my partner wasn’t hammered.”   
  
Grant took a swig of vodka, “Quit yer bitching.”   
  
He took a shot at the 13, and poked Blithe in the eye.   
  
“ AH! My eye! I’m blind!”   
  
  
  
  


**12th Hour**

  
  
  
“ Hey is Cobb asleep?”   
  
Speirs looked over to see the bratty blonde had indeed drifted off to sleep sitting   
up, “Looks that way. Christenson too.”   
  
Lipton saw that Christenson’s tilted head was somewhat concealing the fact that he had fallen asleep.   
  
Speirs looked up at him, “Guess it’s just me and you.”   
  
  
  
  
  
Bill yawned as Liebgott started to shake Shifty awake, “Just let him sleep there. Wake him up when we’re all done.”   
  
“ I guess.”   
  
Bill watched Joe for a moment, “Webster didn’t strike a chord or nothing right?”   
  
Liebgott raised an eyebrow, “Why do you ask?”   
  
“ You just got pissed off is all.”   
  
“ And what suggests to you that that isn’t his status quo?” Sobel asked from the log behind them, the only other contestant on their team left.   
  
Bill just glared, “People think the same thing about me. I know okay? Also? I wasn’t talking to you.”   
  
Liebgott shook his head-“Nah I just-“ he paused to yawn, “think he’s a prick is all.”   
  
Bill nodded, not entirely convinced that his teammate wasn’t hiding something.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**14th Hour**

  
  
  
“ So you worked at a bar? Were you a bartender?”   
  
“ No I was a bouncer.”   
  
Lipton looked over, surprised, “You don’t look like a bouncer.”   
  
“ I get that a lot.”   
  
Lipton nodded, “I bet.”   
  
Speirs rolled his shoulders back, feeling stiff, “What about you? What do you do?”   
  
He was met with silence. “Lipton?”   
  
When he looked over Lipton was asleep   
  
  
  
  
  


**15th hour**

  
  
Bill watched Liebgott’s eyes flutter and close but figured that it was for the best anyway. Although he would have preferred Sobel to fall asleep first.   
  
He turned back to the snooty man behind him, “Joe’s asleep.”   
  
Sobel just looked bored, “I know.”   
  
Nixon came up to them looking pretty tired himself. “Would one of you go to sleep already?   
Red team already has a winner!”   
  
“ Not tired,” Sobel and Bill both lied at the same time.   
  
Nixon groaned, “I’m going to have to drug someone aren’t I?”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was another 3 hours before Dick saw Bill’s head drop a little. He had definitely fallen asleep.   
  
Nixon sighed, “Oh thank God. I thought they’d never finish.”   
  
“ Wow. I can’t believe Sobel won. He was definitely not a favorite to win.”   
  
Nixon shrugged, “Like I said, equal opportunity.”   
  
He stood up and watched as the crew woke up the sleeping contestants, “Floyd! No molesting the unconscious! Especially not that one! He might kill you.”   
  
Talbert glared from where he was waking Liebgott, “I wasn’t!”   
  
“ Yeah right.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The two of them walked back in the house to check on the contestants, only to find the place totally trashed, most of the contestants hollering in another room.   
  
“ Ow! LUZ! No throwing darts while under the influence!”   
  
“ Well then when will I get to play?”   
  
Nixon gaped and looked over at Dick, who just sighed, “I’m going to bed.”   
  
The host silently agreed that this could wait until morning. After all it would be their first real challenge. Man he hoped they weren’t too hung over.   
  
Oh who was he kidding, of course he did. That would be hilarious.

 


	4. Capture the Flag

**Disclaimer:** _ I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and  _ _**not the actual soldiers** _ _. Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy! _   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dick yawned as he rolled out of bed at 11:00 am. Normally he would never sleep so late but the first challenge had kept them all up into the morning hours. He looked around his trailer and rolled his eyes to see that Nixon was asleep on his couch.   
  
Unsure of how the man had even gotten in, but not entirely surprised to see him, he started to work making a pot of coffee in the hopes that the aroma would rouse Nixon from his sleep. Fat chance.   
  
Giving Lewis one more curious look, he went off to hop into the shower, wondering if any of the contestants were awake yet.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  


  
  


  
As far as Babe could tell…he was in a bed. However he was rather reluctant to open his eyes.   
  
His memories of the day before were sketchy at best and one could only wake up naked in some stranger’s front yard so many times before a fear of waking up was instilled.   
  
Man why did these things always happen to him? He was a good kid! He was!   
  
He put a cautious hand over his face and peeked through his fingers, squinting as the sunlight assaulted his eyes.   
  
He did a quick check-fully clothed, no other occupants in the bed…this might be okay.   
  
Blinking his eyes a couple of times he scanned the room he was in. There were three other beds, two were made up and one had sheets that were haphazardly strewn about. But they were all empty.   
  
He slid up into a sitting position and noticed a bottle of water, two Advil and a yellow post it. He grabbed the post it.   
  
_ Hope you’re feeling okay. Take these just in case.  
Gene _   
  
  
Who the Hell was Gene?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Man- he’s gonna be so hung over.”   
  
“ No shit.”   
  
“ Well he has to wake up sometime.”   
  
Perconte, Toye and Buck all just looked down at Luz, who was snoozing-sprawled out on top of a kitchen counter.   
  
Webster rolled his eyes and tried to maneuver his breakfast around the sleeping man, “Would you guys just move him already? This is ridiculous.”   
  
Buck nodded, “That it is.”   
  
Frank shrugged, “We’ve been trying to wake him up for 30 minutes. He’s not having it.”   
  
Skip Muck popped up behind them, “I’ve got an idea.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Penkala sipped on his coffee slowly as he watched Buck sling Luz over his shoulder and walk off with a few others upstairs. He grinned as Skip zipped over, most likely to talk him into witnessing whatever they were going to do to the poor guy.   
  
Skip bounced over with a huge smile, “Hey Don! C’mere you gotta see this. It’s going to be hilarious.”   
  
Then Muck reached forward, grabbed Don’s wrist and jerked the red head, who Penkala hadn’t even seen behind him, along after Buck and the others.   
  
Alex  just sat there, wondering if he was suddenly invisible to his best friend.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ SON OF A BITCH!”   
  
George Luz jumped up as cold water sprayed him in the face. The moment he got to his feet, he slipped on the tub’s wet surface and fell down again.   
  
Coughing and sputtering he looked up to see five of his fellow housemates laughing their asses off as he was soaked from head to toe underneath the shower spray.   
  
Reaching out he grabbed Toye and Buck’s sleeves and pulled them into the tub and then unhooked the shower head to spray the other spectators as well.   
  
“ Ha! Not so funny now is it? Assholes!”   
  
Toye laughed from where he was now lying on his back in the tub, one foot sticking out, “No it really is.”   
  
Luz turned the temperature up to scalding hot and rounded on him.   
  
“ OW! SHIT!”   
  
Buck and the others made a hasty retreat, laughing the whole way.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Nixon. Wake up.”   
  
“ Go away!”   
  
Renee glared before glancing back at Dick who was reading over the rules of the challenge and sipping on a cup of coffee.   
  
Frowning she brought her heeled foot up and dug it into his shoulder.   
  
“ OW!”   
  
“ Wake up then! It’s already late and we have to get started. The next person out here is going to be Martin and you KNOW how he likes to wake you up.”   
  
Nixon sighed, “ EXTRA p ainfully.”   
  
“ Yep…now up-up.”   
  
Grumbling, Nixon struggled off the couch and looked over at Dick before nodding back towards his shower. Dick shrugged and Nixon took off toward the bathroom.   
  
Renee watched him go, “Doesn’t he have his own trailer?”   
  
“ Yeah…he’s afraid he’s going to get eaten by a jaguar.”   
  
“ A jaguar?”   
  
“ It  _ is  _ Brazil.”   
  
“ Right…well I guess I’ll have Talbert go get him his clothes.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Webster watched as Liebgott stood in front of the fridge. Reaching inside, he grabbed the orange juice. Then put it back. Then grabbed it…then put it back. This went on for a few minutes.   
  
David finally stood up, snatched the orange juice out of Joe’s hands, poured some into a cup and slammed it down on the kitchen counter. Then he grabbed a banana and threw it at   
Liebgott.   
  
Joe hastily caught the fruit and glared at the other man, “Do you have a fucking death wish?”   
  
“ Look just…eat that and we’ll pretend like I never said…what I said last night.”   
  
It had only taken an hour on thinking back on his statement before David realized that what he said must have had some truth to it. Maybe he didn’t know what it was but…Joe obviously had some sort of issue with either eating or people talking about his weight.   
  
Whichever it was, David felt bad about it. He was really a nice person…Liebgott just rubbed him the wrong way.   
  
Joe glared at him, but then nodded and sat down in front of the orange juice.   
  
David figured that was kind of like them apologizing.   
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
Babe was watching as everyone started gathering into the living room sort of naturally…Some people were eating, others were talking loudly, and a few dark haired men were yawning still.   
  
He himself was kind of slumped down on the couch, watching the chaos continue to unfold. He didn’t really remember any of these people…   
  
Suddenly a man flopped down next to him. He had brown hair and strangely protruding ears.   
  
The man grinned at him, “How you feeling kid?”   
  
Babe blinked at him, “Are you Gene?”   
  
“ Uh…no. I’m Don Hoobler. But we have two Don’s on our team so just call me Hoobler.”   
  
“ Teams?”   
  
The man gaped, “Wow you were more out of it than I thought.”   
  
“ Yeah about that…what was wrong with me?”   
  
Hoobler laughed, “Oh man. You were all strung out on LSD!”   
  
“ I was WHAT!?”   
  
The man winced and Babe looked around embarrassed, but few looked very interested in what he was shouting about.   
  
“ But I don’t do drugs! I swear I don’t! Um…what’s going to happen to me? “   
  
Hoobler didn’t seem to be sure what he was referring to but when he saw Babe glancing nervously at the cameras he nodded in understanding, “Oh don’t worry about that. You were entertaining enough that I’m pretty sure they’re not going to do anything. Plus from what I can tell you didn’t do it on purpose right?”   
  
“ Right!”   
  
Hoobler swatted him on the shoulder, “You’ll be fine kid. Now let me fill you in on the stuff you were too high to understand, okay?”   
  
“ Sure,” Babe muttered, glancing around at all the assembled contestants, curious about which one of them had left him the post it.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nixon walked out of Dick’s bathroom, freshly showered and dressed. He was buttoning the top button of his shirt when he saw Dick giving him that not-quite a smirk…smirk.   
  
“ What?” he asked, shooting a hand to his hair and looking behind himself.   
  
Dick smiled at the floor and shook his head, “Just thinking that you better not have used my toothbrush too.”   
  
Nix rolled his eyes, “Well if I had to steal anyone’s toothbrush it would definitely be   
yours…”   
  
“ Nix I was joking!”   
  
“ Ha…me too. No Floyd brought me one…”   
  
Nixon and Dick’s cells beeped at the same time. Lewis shrugged but Dick checked his message.   
  
“ The contestants are all assembled in the clearing. You know what you’re talking about?”   
  
Nixon rolled his eyes and snagged the papers Dick had been reading over earlier, “I will by the time we get there.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The assembled group of contestants and crew all stood in the center of a clearing, which was in the middle of a grassy area of forest, trees encircling all of them.   
  
“ So who wants to guess what you’ll be doing today?”   
  
21 pairs of eyes stared at Nixon in various states of boredom, confusion and concern. 1 pair was still flickering in and out of Snoozeville.   
  
“ No one? Okay.” Nixon smiled, much more awake due to coffee and the excitement of the new challenge, “Today you will be playing a game of Capture the Flag. Has anyone ever played that before?”   
  
“ No. We all have lives.” Sobel snapped.   
  
Christenson slowly let his hand down from where he had shot it into the air, “Um…nevermind.”   
  
“ Well then- let’s explain the rules. Capture the Flag is an outdoor game played between two teams. Which works out well considering. Anyway each team has a flag that they keep on their side of a border. The way to win the game is to capture the other team’s flag and bring it over the border. The border in this case will be right where I’m standing,”   
  
Everyone looked down to see a series of lined up logs set up to make the border quite obvious.   
  
Dick took over explaining, “Each team will have defenders and attackers. Attackers will go into the other team’s territory in an attempt to get the enemy flag, and bring it back to their side of the border. Defenders will guard their side of the border and attempt to eliminate those attackers that try to steal their flag.”   
  
“ Now the way to eliminate a player will be quite simple,” Nixon explained holding up a small, round object with a miniature red flag hanging down from it. “Each player will be wearing one of these. All you have to do to eliminate someone from the challenge is to pull their flag and this black device will light up, indicating that the person is now out of the game. Once you’re out- come back to the border and chill until the game is over. You’ll be allowed to set ups your flags on your own. They need to be hung at head height and visible from 20 feet. We’ll be monitoring the border. Any questions?”   
  
22 head shakes. Nixon smiled, “Excellent. Captains come and get your flags.”   
  
Dick came up behind him, a red and blue flag in each hand. Speirs and Sobel walked up to grab them.   
  
“ Alright, Red territory to my front, blue territory to my back. Get going.”   
  
The two teams took off to their sides of the border, cameramen in tow.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Red Team**

  
  
  
They had only been walking in the forest for about 3 minutes when Speirs halted quickly and turned to look at his teammates abruptly. “Anyone wearing a red shirt take it off now.”   
  
Grant looked around- noting that only he, Blithe, Perconte and Luz had forgone the provided red tees. “Uh why?”   
  
Christenson stripped his shirt off and tossed it next to a tree, “Because red sticks out like a sore thumb and we don’t want to give away our position.”   
  
“ Exactly,” Speirs nodded before walking a few paces over to a low hanging tree. “Cobb, Compton- how tall are you?”   
  
Cobb was reluctantly taking his shirt off, “5’10?”   
  
Buck walked over to their team leader and held his hand out for the flag, “Here-I’m 6’1.”   
  
Speirs handed it over for Buck to tack to the tree at his head height-which was higher than the rest of them. However Buck tacked it far above his head height, not really paying attention.   
  
Ron surveyed the team.   
  
“ Okay-Blithe, Grant, Perconte, Luz, Compton and I will be the attack team. Anyone have a problem with that?”   
  
Penkala shrugged, “Nah..but uh what are  _ we  _ _ s _ upposed to do?”   
  
Speirs looked around the area, “Set up a perimeter around the flag.”   
  
Christenson nodded, “Yeah but not too close. We don’t want them to know where it is.”   
  
Lipton nudged Burton, “You’ve played this before right?”   
  
“ Yeah, a few times.”   
  
Speirs looked over quickly, “Anything we should know before we run straight into enemy territory?”   
  
Christenson looked surprised that he was actually asking, “Uh…split up of course. Also try to blend in with their team, they may not recognize all their players right off.”   
  
Speirs nodded, “Perfect. You take over things here. If you’re on the attack team let’s get moving.”   
  
Lipton watched him take off, impressed by the way he was handling the team.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Blue Team**

  
  
  
  
“ I’m telling you that’s fucking dumb!”   
  
“ Yeah I have to agree. They’ll see us before they see the flag!”   
  
“ Look as team Captain I think that guarding the flag would be-”   
  
Bill glared, “Who cares what you think? We aren’t obligated to listen to you. Guarding the flag is pathetic. And Hoobler’s right they’ll see us and know exactly where the flag is.”   
  
“ Did you just call me pathetic?!”   
  
Liebgott glared, “He was being pretty lenient if you ask me!”   
  
“ No one asked you-you stupid-”   
  
“ You don’t want to fucking go there-”   
  
“ Let’s all calm down,” Shifty held an arm in front of Liebgott just in case. “Why don’t we figure out who’s going where?”   
  
Sobel pursed his lips and nodded, “I’m definitely going to be on the attack team.”   
  
Bill glared, “I’ll stay here. How about you Shifty?”   
  
Shifty thought about it. “I’ve got pretty good ears, I think I should stay. That way I can alert y’all if anyone tries to sneak up on us.”   
  
Evans smiled, “Speaking of ears…”   
  
Hoobler frowned, “I’ll go anywhere he’s not.”   
  
“ He’s staying here to guard the flag? Right Evans?” Sobel asked the blond e, who nodded quickly.   
  
“ Then I’m on the attack team. You in kid?” Hoobler asked looking over at Babe.   
  
“ Uh sure?”   
  
“ I’ll go with you guys,” Gene tossed out.   
  
“ I’ll be on the attack team.” Muck volunteered, before nudging Don in the ribs.   
  
“ Oh…me too!” The red head laughed, taking the hint.   
  
Bill nodded, “That’s plenty. Which means Liebgott, Webster, Evans, Shifty and me stay here. Everyone clear? Good. ”   
  
  
  
  
  


**In Blue Territory**

  
  
  
  
Frank looked around to see if anyone could see him crossing over the log barrier. He had watched Luz simply stroll casually into the forest- obviously wanting to go with the “blend in” tactic. He was wearing a white tee so he might be able to pull it off.   
  
He was only five feet into the forest when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly squatted down and looked over to see Muck and Don walking about 10 feet to his right   
in the direction of the border.   
  
He held his breath until he felt they were safely out of his way. He stood up in a crouch and started walking slowly and almost had a heart attack when someone grabbed him by the shoulder.   
  
“ Speirs what the fuck?” he whispered but the other man put a finger to his lips and pointed in the direction that Frank had been about to go.   
  
Liebgott was leaning against a tree not far off, looking around him. The two of them stooped low once more. Speirs leaned in close and whispered, “Walk back and then go off to the right. I’ll go to the left.”   
  
He nodded and watched Ron go. He hadn’t even heard the stealthy fucker sneak up on him, they might actually win this thing.   
  
  
  
  
  


**In Red Territory**

  
  
  
Gene wasn’t sure that Sobel could get any louder if he tried. They had all crossed into the Red territory consecutively but had split up fairly quickly. However even from the distance they put between them he could hear Sobel’s too-quick movements and heavy breathing. It’d only be a matter of time before someone else heard him.   
  
Up ahead of him he could see a solitary red head and knew that it was Babe. He had wanted to talk to the guy and see how he was feeling, but there hadn’t really been a good time. He was wondering if he should catch up with him when he heard a loud crash.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Shit!” Don cursed from where he had tripped over a branch and fallen flat on his face, causing a huge ruckus.   
  
He jumped back up in time to see someone heading his way. He started to move off quickly but was grabbed by the back of his shirt by Penkala and fell to the ground again.   
  
He heard a light beep as his flag was pulled and his device lit up. Penkala grinned triumphantly, “Nice try Malarkey.”   
  
Don smiled up at him and shrugged. Penkala just frowned, “Why are you smiling?”   
  
“ Oh no reason Penk.”   
  
There was another beep and Penkala looked down at his flashing device, “What the Hell?”   
  
Alex turned around to see Skip waving his flag in his face, “HA! You SO were not expecting that shit!”   
  
“ Can you do that?”   
  
Malarkey shrugged, “I guess he can!”   
  
“ Damn it!”   
  
  
  
  
  


**In Blue Territory**

  
  
  
  
Bill was trying to herd Evans away from the flag. The blond e was currently standing directly in front of the tree the flag was hung on. Just enough to attract attention to himself but not close enough to draw attention AWAY from the giant blue flag!   
  
He glared at the other man, “You seriously cannot be standing here right now.”   
  
“ But Sobel told me to stand here.”   
  
“ No. He didn’t. He told you to guard the flag. You can do that from a lot of places.”   
  
“ How can I guard the flag if I can’t see it?”   
  
“ What? You aren’t even looking at it now!”   
  
“… Yes I am.”   
  
“ Ugh. Look will you just move already? You’re making this too fucking difficult!”   
  
“ NO!”   
  
Bill restrained himself from smacking the guy, not sure what to do instead. This was a problem…but the guy had kind of leeched onto Sobel when the other man had been the only one willing to talk to him. Now it was pretty obvious that he was the only one Evans would listen to…   
  
Well if he couldn’t get him to move on his own, he knew another way to get him out of the way.   
  
Bill reached down to the device clipped onto Evans shorts and pulled his flag out. “There. You’re eliminated. Beat it.”   
  
Evans just gaped, “Wha? Oh man…”   
  
Bill watched him slump over to the border in relief…that was one less thing to worry about.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Shifty paused in his silent pacing when he heard movement to his right. He spun around and saw a head of platinum blond hair.   
  
He crept over until he was directly behind Buck. He was about to snatch the man’s flag when he heard someone holler, “Behind you Buck!”   
  
Buck didn’t even look back but took off like a shot and Shifty took off after him. However the blond e was moving too fast for Shifty to keep up with.   
  
He had fallen a considerable distance behind when all of a sudden he saw Buck go flying forward off his feet.   
  
Sucking in deep breaths of air he caught up to the fallen Red and pulled the flag on his device. “Man you are really fast.”   
  
Buck grimaced and sat up, “Thanks…I play college football. What’d I hit?”   
  
“ My foot.”   
  
They both looked over to Liebgott who was standing there casually with one foot sticking out, obviously intending to trip Buck up, “No shirt huh? Anyone else on your team being skins?”   
  
Buck knew better than to say anything and walked off toward the border.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
David heard someone shout and took off towards the sound. He saw Shifty running after someone but instead of helping he followed the noise and saw Perconte.   
  
Frank saw him and tried to run past him but David reached out and grabbed the flag off his waist. Perconte groaned, “Shiiiiit.”   
  
David shook his head, “Maybe you shouldn’t have been shouting.”   
  
Suddenly someone flew past him, grabbing his flag as well.   
  
“ Who the Hell was that?” David looked around frantically a s his device lit up.   
  
Frank made a face, “I honestly don’t even know.”   
  
“ Crap.”   
  
  
  
  
  


**In Red Territory**

  
  
  
Christenson saw Sobel practically stomping right up the middle of their established perimeter and took off to eliminate the Blue Captain.   
  
Huh…eliminate sounded kinda evil…   
  
When he got a little closer he noticed that the loud player had also caught the attention of Cobb and Lipton, leaving a serious gap in their perimeter, “Guys get back to your spots!”   
  
  


Sobel saw them and started to move but Lipton easily tackled him and Cobb snatched his flag.  
  
They looked over at Burton.  
  
“What are you hollering about?” Cobb asked, squinting his eyes against the sun.  
  
“Guys there is officially only 1 person guarding our flag right now!”  
  
“Oh…shit.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Gene spotted the Red flag tacked onto a tree about 7 feet ahead. Glancing around he felt it was safe to run up there.  
  
However the moment he got there he noted a slight problem. It was too high up for him to reach. Head height his ass! He was 5’10 and he couldn’t reach that!  
  
Not sure what to do he didn’t hear anyone come up behind him.  
  
“Need some help?”  
  
Spinning around he sighed upon seeing that it was Babe. “Babe…you scared the Jesus out of me. Why don’t you give me a boost?”  
  
Babe nodded, “Sure thing…um…”  
  
“I’m Gene. Sorry…I shouldn’t of expected you to remember me.”  
  
“No! I’m sorry Gene…um let me help you.” Babe trailed off, embarrassed that he hadn’t remembered a man who immediately struck him as unforgettable. “Wow that’s way up there.”  
  
“Yeah not really head height huh?”  
  
“Well I’m just s _ure_ that was a mistake,” Babe joked squatting down and making a basket with his hands.  
  
Gene laughed and put a hand on Babe’s shoulder to steady himself before putting his right heel in Babe’s cupped palms.  
  
Babe pushed up with his hands a little too quickly and Gene barely had time to pull down the Red flag before he lost his balance and fell back onto the red headed teen.  
  
Twisting around Gene found them face to face on the ground and his breath caught at how close he was to Babe. The teen just grinned awkwardly, “Uh sorry about that.”  
  
Gene shook his head and sat the flag on Babe’s chest so he could push himself up off the ground, “No problem.”  
  
Suddenly there was a beep and Gene saw his device start flashing. Toye had snuck up on him.  
  
“Babe…start running.”  
  
“Right.” Babe grabbed the flag and took off, Toye hot on his heels.  
  
Gene cursed at letting himself get distracted and took off toward the border as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**In Blue Territory**

  
  
  
  
Speirs was watching Liebgott closely. The Blue player may not look like it- but he was becoming a serious threat. And Ron knew better than anyone else not to underestimate someone based on their appearance.   
  
Liebgott had already eliminated Luz and Grant singlehandedly. It would only be a matter of time before he got to the others, all of whom Speirs was unclear about as far as their status went.   
  
So….go for the flag or take out Liebgott?   
  
He grinned, not able to resist a challenge. He headed over to Liebgott’s position, hoping to get the drop on the other man.   
  
The moment he was within 3 feet of the other contestant Liebgott turned around to head back to the flag and found himself face to face with the Red team’s Captain.   
  
They collided together solidly and tumbled to the ground. After untangling his arms from the other man Liebgott reached for the red flag at Ron’s waist and at the same moment felt pressure on his hip.   
  
He glared up the shirtless Red, who had a thoughtful look on his face.   
  
Finally Ron said, “Well…we could always call it a truce.”   
  
Joe frowned, “Fuck that.”   
  
They ripped off one another’s flags simultaneously.   
  
  
  


**In Red Territory**

  
  
  
Hoobler wasn’t sure  _ what  _ was so special about this particular tree but the moment he got close to it he was violently tackled by two people…so that sucked.   
  
Christenson pulled his flag off his waist and looked him over, “Where’s our flag?”   
  
Hoobler shook his head, “I don’t know?”   
  
Lipton, Cobb, and Christenson all exchanged looks before they took off sprinting toward the border.   
  
Hoobler just lay there…not sure if he could even move, “Owww….this game sucks.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Babe was no longer looking over his shoulder but he definitely knew that Toye was gaining on him. He knew it for certain when the other man hooked an arm around his waist and sent them both face first into the dirt.   
  
Fortunately for Babe he landed on the side that his device was strapped to. When Toye realized he couldn’t see it he tried to stand up but Babe reached up and activated his device.   
  
Joe jumped to his feet and smacked his head, “So maybe tackling you was not the best idea.”   
  
Babe shrugged and stood up as well, he was contemplating saying something to Toye when he saw three Reds running up behind Joe.   
  
“ Shit, gotta go.”   
  
  
  
  


**At the Border**

  
  
  
Frank, Luz, Buck and Grant all groaned when they saw Speirs and Liebgott trudging towards them to wait the rest of the game out with the eliminated players.   
  
“ We’re so boned,” Luz complained.   
  
“ Yep.”   
  
Nixon was standing off to the side with Dick and Harry. He adjusted his sunglasses and stared dejectedly at the border barrier, “Come on! Something has to happen soon!”   
  
He then glared over at Dick, “And why are you not getting seriously sunburned? I put on like an entire bottle of SPF15 and you didn’t do jack! I know you don’t tan.”   
  
Dick shrugged “I don’t know..I guess I just don’t burn easily.”   
  
“ Ice doesn’t melt in his mouth either.” Harry, who also had a faint strip of pink across his nose, complained.   
  
“ Whatever I- oh look!”   
  
Babe had come tearing out of the forest, Christenson hot on his heels, and red flag in his hand. Nixon bounced on his feet excitedly, “That’s more like it.”   
  
It looked like Babe was going to make it, he was only a few feet from the border, but Christenson in a last ditch attempt to stop him- flung himself forward, grabbing the side of Babe’s cargo shorts and yanking at the flag.   
  
The flag come out, the device beeped, but everyone was much more interested in the fact that Babe’s shorts had come down as well.   
  
“ AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Dude just got pantsed! On national television!” Nixon was actually hunched over he was laughing so hard, “Nice boxers kid!”   
  
Babe glared as the others chimed in with wolf whistles and laughter.   
  
“ You’re young you can pull off South Park underwear!”   
  
Babe just held out his hand and flicked off everyone that could see him. He reached down and yanked his shorts back up.   
  
All of a sudden a bull horn went off.   
  
“ WINNER!” Nixon shouted.   
  
Babe turned around to see what the Hell he was talking about and gaped with everyone else as Blithe strolled across the border-Blue flag in hand.   
  
“ What the FUCK?”   
  
“ NO WAY!”   
  
Blithe just looked at everyone, confused, “What?”   
  
“ Red team wins!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So now what?” Hoobler asked rubbing his shoulder, still aching from the throw down by the Red team, “We just vote for who we want off the team?”   
  
Bill shrugged, “I guess so.”   
  
Dick walked over to the assembled Blue team, “Think about it and talk amongst yourselves and then come out to the beach at 6:00pm to take the vote.”   
  
Everyone sighed and walked off.   
  
Christenson took a break from celebrating with his team when he saw Babe walking back toward the house from the Jeep he had ridden in from the clearing. “Hey kid wait up.”   
  
Babe paused and looked over to glare at Christenson- still a little sore that the guy had pantsed him. But he knew it was an accident.   
  
He frowned when Christenson reached him, “My name’s Babe not kid.”   
  
“ Your  r _ eal  _ name is Babe?”   
  
“ Well it’s Edward but…just call me Babe. What are you talking about my name for? Isn’t your name  _ Burton _ ?”   
  
Christenson held up his hands, “Whoa, I don’t want to argue with you. I just wanted to apologize for the…y’know…the part where I pulled your pants off?   
  
Babe shrugged, “Don’t sweat it…it was an accident.”   
  
“ Or was it?”   
  
“ Haha gross you pervert!”   
  
Burton laughed, “I didn’t take you as a boxers kinda guy.”   
  
“ What?”   
  
Gene hung back, seeing that Babe was busy talking to someone. Why was he so desperate to befriend the kid anyway? Hadn’t he wanted to keep his connections to a minimum?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sobel sighed as he slumped back onto the couch, tuning out the constant chatter of Evans. He knew he was in a bad spot. No one really wanted him as Captain and it would be all too easy for them to vote for him.   
  
It was ridiculous! Evans had told him that Bill had eliminated him. It was all Guarnere’s fault that their flag had been captured!   
  
He had to do something to make sure he wouldn’t be forced to compete in the head to head challenge.   
  
He paused when he looked past the hall and into the kitchen where Toye was cracking eggs for an omelet, suddenly getting a bad idea.   
  
“ So then I said ‘What if you strap the skate board to your feet?’ and he said-”   
  
“ Evans- vote for Bill tonight okay?”   
  
“ Um okay?” the blond watched him hop up and head over to the kitchen.   
Sobel walked past the open carton of eggs, grabbed two of them and a cup before walking to the bathroom.   
  
Closing the door he cracked the eggs in the sink and poured the contents into the cup.   
  
Taking a deep breath, he lifted the cup to his lips and drank the raw eggs. Swallowing hard he tried not to throw up, he hoped this would work.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Where the fuck is Sobel? It’s almost 6:00!” Liebgott glared at Evans who was shrugging at him.   
  
Dick walked over, he guessed this fell under his job description, “What’s the problem?”   
  
David sighed, “We’re not sure where Sobel is, should we head over to the beach without him?”   
  
Dick nodded, “Uh yeah get going…I’ll get him.”   
  
Shifty walked over, “He’s in the hall bathroom, he sounds awfully sick.”   
  
“ I’ll go check on him.”   
  
Dick went over to the bathroom in the hallway and tapped on the door, “Herbert? Can I come in?”   
  
There was a cough then “Sure.”   
  
Peeking around the door Dick saw Sobel on the floor hunched over the toilet. He had obviously been puking. “Oh my goodness!. Are you okay?”   
  
“ I have food poisoning.”   
  
“ What? Oh this is not good. You need to get to the infirmary. Don’t worry about this elimination, just sit it out. What gave you food poisoning?”   
  
“ I did.”   
  
Dick just gaped as Sobel started retching again, “Oh Nixon’s going to love this.”

 

 

 

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Oh nice!” Nixon exclaimed to what Dick whispered in his ear, “Okay interesting news everybody. Sobel’s got serious food poisoning and is in the infirmary. So he’s probably going to be sick for a while. Basically I wouldn’t waste your vote on him….doesn’t look like he’s going to be up to competing.”   
  
There was a chorus of curses.   
  
“ I know!” Nixon nodded, “Anyway just go over to this podium and write your vote down.”   
  
He gestured over the large bonfire on the beach and to a wooden podium set up with paper ballots and a drop box. Way too Survivor style for Dick’s taste.   
  
They all grumbled and formed a line.   
  
“ Can’t we just vote orally?” Malarkey asked.   
  
Nixon shook his head, “Oh no. This ain’t my first rodeo…that’s how people get strangled.”   
  
Dick looked over at him “I thought that’s what you wanted?”   
  
“ Yeah…but they might take out their misfortune on me….so ballots for now.”   
  
“ Right.”   
  
Once everyone had circled around and dropped their ballots, Dick went and looked them over. Nixon peeked over his shoulder.   
  
“ Haha that should be interesting…”   
  
“ Who is it?” Babe asked.   
  
Dick flipped though the ballots once more, “The two people who will be competing in tomorrow’s head to head challenge are…”   
  
Nixon hip checked him out of the way, “Evans and Hoobler!”   
  
Hoobler grinned, “Sweet! Wait…who voted for me!?”   
  
“ You, my friend, will never know,” Nixon grinned, “Well at least not until the show airs with the accompanied footage of you all explaining who you voted for….Just meet back here at 9:00 am tomorrow morning for the FIRST elimination challenge!”   
  


 

  
  


 


	5. We All Fall Down

**Disclaimer:** _I_ _’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so_ please _don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!_  
  
  
  
  
David checked his watch and then flopped back into the sand, the bonfire still going strong on the beach and most of the other contestants having headed back to the house. He heard shuffling behind him and looked back to see Liebgott sitting on a log, pulling out a cigarette.  
  
David stared for a minute, “You shouldn’t smoke.”  
  
“I shouldn’t do a lot of things.”  
  
“Why are you still out here?”  
  
“I wanted to smoke without getting bitched at. Apparently that was too much to hope for.”  
  
“I’m not bitching!”  
  
“Whatever.”  
  
Liebgott lit the cigarette and let it hang from his lips, smoke billowing out of the corner of his mouth as he scratched at his arm viciously.  
  
David sat up-watching him, “Um…ouch?”  
  
Liebgott looked down at his now bleeding arm, “Fuuuck.”  
  
Then he got up and walked away. David, who had originally wanted to be alone, decided to follow him-not because he cared about what was going on with Pissed Off Guy…but because he was curious…  
  
  
  
  
  
“I still can’t believe you did that to me!”  
  
Skip rolled his eyes, “Penk you have to accept the fact that we aren’t on the same team. We knew that was a possibility when we signed up. Besides, I was avenging a fallen comrade.”  
  
This only made Alex glare, “I still say it was a cheap move…sneaking up on me.”  
  
“Whatever you big baby! Where is Don anyway?”  
  
“What-can’t go 5 minutes without your new best friend?”  
  
“My what? No! I just went to get him a drink and now he’s not here and I...why are you looking at me like that?”  
  
Alex just gaped, “Oh my God…I totally get it now!”  
  
“Get what?”  
  
“Why you keep blowing me off for him! You want to hit that!”  
  
Skip spewed his mouthful of beer all over the grass next to the pool, “What!?”  
  
“Yeah! I thought you were replacing me but now I see that you just want to get into his pants!”  
  
“That’s not true! Shut up! I was totally replacing you!”  
  
“Admit it! You wanna tap that ass!”  
  
“Stop talking ghetto you freak!”  
  
“What are you two yakking about?”  
  
Skip froze when Don slid up next to him and took the drink he’d sent Skip after, “Nothing…”  
  
“Well actually-” Penkala began, smiling over at the red-head until Skip kicked him in the leg. Alex clutched his thigh as he fell, “Ah! Charlie Horse!”  
  
“You guys are weirdos.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“You’re not very good are you?” Buck observed as Luz’s attempt to sink the 6 ball went south. Luz glared at him as he straightened up and walked around the pool table, plucking a cigarette from Toye’s lips and taking a drag. Toye swatted at him lazily.  
  
Luz handed the cigarette back and poked Buck in the shoulder with his pool stick, “I’ll have you know I’m a perfectly acceptable pool player…usually. I’m just a little rusty.”  
  
“Sure you are. Come here.” Buck grabbed Luz’s shoulders and steered him back to his original position. Standing behind Luz he grabbed the other man’s hands to line up a shot, “Here’s what you’re doing wrong, it’s all about the angle you hit the ball at…”  
  
Luz rolled his eyes and smirked over at Toye, who was thinking that Buck was incredibly obvious…and also that Luz looked pretty good bent over a pool table…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lipton wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. He wasn’t drinking anything, smoking anything, and he wasn’t playing anything. He looked at them for a moment before shoving them in his pockets.  
  
Glancing around he spotted Speirs nodding absentmindedly at something Blithe was asking him.  
  
The team Captain was watching Luz, Toye and Buck with a calculating stare. Lipton shrugged and walked over to the two of them.  
  
He leaned against the wall next to Ron and nodded in the direction of his gaze, “What do you see?”  
  
Speirs took a swig from his beer bottle, “Trouble waiting to happen.”  
  
Lipton raised an eyebrow, “How so?” All he saw were three guys playing pool.  
  
Speirs shrugged, “You’ll see eventually.”  
  
Lipton nodded, not sure that he would, “So you did really great today. Taking command I guess. Maybe you should join the Army.”  
  
Finally Speirs looked over and gave him a twitch of the lips that Lipton would assume was a smile, “Oh I definitely couldn’t do that.”  
  
“What? Why not? It seems like it’d be a good fit.”  
  
“Trust me Lipton…it would never work.”  
  
Then he turned his head to finish answering Blithe’s question and Lipton was left to wonder what the big deal was.  
  
What did Speirs see that he couldn’t?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Babe thought it was pretty cool that Christenson had snuck him a beer, although he doubted the red plastic cup was really fooling anyone. But if the kids on Laguna Beach could get away with it then so could he damn it!  
  
Not that…he watched that show or anything.  
  
He looked down at the alcohol and felt his stomach twinge a little. Hmmm maybe drinking wouldn’t really be the best thing to do right now. Sighing he sat the cup down and slinked away from the group he’d gotten tacked on to.  
  
All of whom were arguing very loudly about how you couldn’t get THAT sick from eating two eggs and how Sobel was a big fat faker.  
  
Which Babe guessed he probably was. Not that it mattered right now.  
  
He was sure in a few minutes that Christenson would realize he was gone…but he was surprised to find that he was actually really tired.  
  
He was going to go to sleep…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Gene watched Babe make a face at his cup before setting it down and walking off. He still hadn’t gotten around to talking to the guy yet but now seemed to be as good a time as ever.  
  
He began to walk after him when an arm stretched out across the kitchen doorway, cutting him off. His eyes followed the arm up to its owner, a sandy haired young man who Gene remembered was the show’s intern.  
  
“Can I…help you with something?”  
  
The intern, Talbert, just grinned, “Wow you have a very sexy voice. I bet you get that all the time don’t you?”  
  
He did actually. “Not really…look I actually-”  
  
“So do you drink?”  
  
“Um…rarely.”  
  
“Fight? Steal? Do drugs? Have promiscuous sex?”  
  
“What? No!”  
  
Talbert sighed and let his arm drop, “Damn…and you were so hot too.”  
  
Gene watched the intern walk off looking disappointed. It was only then that he realized Babe was long gone- up the stairs and probably to his room. Following him now would just seem weird.  
  
Maybe he would catch him later.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Liebgott glared, “Stop fucking following me!”  
  
David frowned, “I just wanted to see if your arm was okay.”  
  
“It’s fine…go away.”  
  
When they got to Joe’s bedroom David hung back in the doorway but was surprised that the other man hadn’t slammed the door in his face.  
  
Slowly entering the room he saw Liebgott rummaging through his things, “What are you looking for? A band aid? Just go to the infirmary…”  
  
Joe didn’t bother answering, but finally stopped searching and pulled out a small, black case. Standing up he walked over to the bathroom down the hall.  
  
“What is that?” David eyed the case curiously.  
  
“Medicine. Now fuck off.”  
  
David looked at Liebgott closely. The guy was kind of pale, clenching his jaw, had dark circles under his eyes and didn’t seem to eat…  
  
“Are you sick?”  
  
Liebgott had walked into the bathroom and David didn’t even realize he was almost inside as well.   
  
Joe frowned at him, “Yeah…I’m sick.”  
  
Then he slammed the door in his face.  
  
David didn’t feel as pissed as he thought he would be, even if he had been expecting Liebgott to shut the door on him. He couldn’t stop the wheels from turning in his head.  
  
What _exactly_ was wrong with the other man?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“What are you freaking out for? You’re going to win. I’m pretty sure Evans is legally retarded.” Bill tried to assure Hoobler, who had two feet in the pool- apparently all upset about having to compete in the head to head challenge tomorrow.  
  
Grant slid over next to them, “You know what you need? Beer!”  
  
He shoved a beer in Hoobler’s hand and started chugging one of his own. Perconte walked up to gape at him, “How do you DRINK so much? I thought you were still wasted from yesterday!”  
  
“I wish! I need another…something.”  
  
Hoobler looked down at his beer and shrugged, “I guess you’re right Bill. Besides- this is the perfect chance to cream that sucker for always going on about my fucking ears.”  
  
Perconte nodded, “Or anything really. Man that bitch can talk. Did he tell you about how he skipped his graduation to go sailing?”  
  
“Or about how he’s an ice-skating champion?”  
  
“AH! Mental image of him in tights!”  
  
They all grimaced.  
  
“Yeah,” Bill nodded, “I’ll be more than happy to see you send him packing.”  
  
Grant took a swig of beer, “Ditto.”  
  
…..  
  
“Who the fuck says ‘ditto’ anymore?”  
  
  
  
  
  


**9 o’clock The Next Morning**

  
  
  
  
  
“If you keep scratching it it’ll only hurt more.”  
  
Nixon glared at his friend, whose skin was still perfect and not burnt like his.  
  
He reluctantly took his hand from the back of his neck, “Yeah well today I came prepared.”  
  
Dick looked at the sunscreen slathered onto Lewis’s face and smiled, “So I see.”  
  
Nix nodded, “Alright let’s get this going.”  
  
He turned back to the two assembled teams who were seated in wooden bleachers in a boxed off area away from the make shift arena where they would be having their head to head challenges.  
  
“Contestants welcome to the first One-on-One challenge. Here in this arena is where the two contestants who got the most votes from the losing team will compete directly against one another. The winner will rejoin his team for the next challenge. And the loser will have to leave the island…for good.”  
  
“Hey do you have a name for this show yet?” Grant hollered from the stands.  
  
Nixon sighed….fucking Grant. “We were thinking about ‘Red vs. Blue’!”  
  
“That’s a web series!”  
  
“Or ‘The Island’.”  
  
“That’s a movie!”  
  
“We were also thinking about calling it ‘Shut the Fuck Up Grant So I Can Do My Goddamn Job!’”  
  
“That’s a little long….”  
  
Nixon glared, “As you all know…because you were all there yesterday-the Blue team lost the game of Capture the Flag. As MOST of you know, since one of you wasn’t there, the two Blue members competing today are Hoobler and Evans.”  
  
The whole Blue team glared at Sobel.  
  
Nixon swept his arms out, “Hoobler, Evans please step down into the arena.”  
  
The two men hopped down from the stands, looking nervous.  
  
“Today we are going to have…a duel.”  
  
Liebgott frowned, “Duh.”  
  
Nixon grinned and walked over to where Dick was holding an open box.  
  
Reaching into the box he pulled out two black guns, “No I mean we’re going to have a DUEL.”  
  
Cobb gaped, “You’re joking right?”  
  
“Seriously?”  
  
“Are you insane!?”  
  
“Oh this is going to be AWESOME!”  
  
Lewis rolled his eyes, “Relax- they aren’t loaded with real bullets. They’re loaded with specially designed rubber bullets. Which while not fatal- hurt like a bitch. Don’t worry we tested them on Floyd.”  
  
They all looked over to see Talbert rubbing at his shoulder with wide eyes.  
  
Evans gulped nervously. He didn’t like pain…and looking at the contraption in the arena…it was probably a bad thing that he didn’t like heights.  
  
Nixon turned back to the arena, where there was a metal platform up in the air, with two gigantic mats on the ground below each end, obviously there to break someone’s fall.  
  
“Here’s what’s going to happen. The two of you are going to climb up onto that platform and stand back to back. When I give the signal you will both take ten steps to the edge of the platform, turn around and fire your weapon. Trust me….the force of the rubber bullet will be enough to knock you down off the platform. The first one to fall loses. The winner rejoins his team. Any questions?”  
  
Hoobler raised his hand, “What if someone gets hit in the eye?”  
  
“We thought of that. Which is why you’ll be wearing these!” Nixon pulled two thick goggles  
from behind his back, “Now get up there!”  
  
Walking over to opposite sides of the platform, the two men began to ascend the attached stairs.  
  
  
  
  
Babe watched them walk to the middle of the platform, worried that Hoobler might get a rubber bullet to the jugular. He looked down at his hands and frowned when he saw that the leg of the person next to him was shaking.  
  
He looked up at Liebgott- who apparently was kind of an asshole…but his leg was shaking and he’d never been mean to Babe. He touched the other man on the shoulder and Joe jerked away immediately.  
  
“Are you okay?” Babe asked.  
  
At first he thought the man would snap at him but when he saw who it was, he deflated a  
little.  
  
“Yeah kid. I’m fine, just bored.”  
  
Webster looked over with narrowed eyes and Babe wondered if he knew what was going on. Maybe he’d ask later.  
  
  
  
  
  
The two men on the platform were now standing back to back.  
  
Skip leaned over to whisper in Don’s ear, “I bet you $10 bucks Evans shoots himself in the foot.”  
  
Malarkey just shook his head, “Nooo…he’s an excellent marksmen remember? He took firing lessons from his Uncle on the SWAT team!”  
  
Skip laughed, “Oh right. I almost forgot.”  
  
They were interrupted from their laughter by the loud bang of a gunshot.  
  
All of the contestants jumped. Well…except Speirs…but come on.  
  
Nixon grinned, “Did I forget to mention that the signal would be a real gunshot?”  
  
  
  
  
Evans took a deep breath and started to walk, counting his steps.   
  
One, two, three…  
  
Hoobler made sure not to look down.   
  
Four, five, six…  
  
Just aim and fire that’s all. The fall wouldn’t hurt, right?  
  
Seven, eight, nine.   
  
Here goes nothing.   
  
Ten.   
  
The two men spun around at the same time. Hoobler fired two shots right off the bat, but neither of them hit their mark.  
  
Evans waited a moment, took a deep breath and focused in.   
  
Hoobler shot once more, hitting Evans in the leg.   
  
Evans fell forward instead of backwards and fired a shot as he went down.   
  
The rubber bullet hit Hoobler square in the chest and everyone gaped as the man went sailing backwards.   
  
Hoobler hit his mat with a loud thud, cursing and clutching his chest the whole time.   
  
Everyone gaped, including Nixon.   
  
“Alright. We have a winner. Evans…get your butt down here!”  
  
The blonde began to scale down the platform.   
  
Multiple members of the Red team were grumbling and handing Luz $5 dollar bills.   
  
Once the two men were back at the front of the arena, Nixon made them shake hands. Both of them grimaced and rubbed their leg and chest.   
  
“Evans, congratulations. Really man…no one saw that coming.”   
  
Evans gave him a pained grin, “Uh…thanks?”  
  
The host turned back to Don, “Hoobler…my man. Sorry to say but you now have to leave the island. But you almost had him! Please say your goodbyes and go collect your things. A car will be waiting to take you away. Sorry dude.”  
  
Hoobler just frowned and nodded. He walked over to the bleachers, where he was flooded with talk.   
  
“No way!”  
  
“That’s Bull man.”   
  
“Yeah-you hit him first.”  
  
“This totally sucks.”  
  
He shook hands with Babe who gave him a small smile, “Thanks for being cool to me Hoob. Sorry you…got shot.”  
  
Hoobler nodded, “Yeah…it really hurts.”  
  
Shifty gave him a worried look, “Maybe they’ll let you go to the infirmary first.”  
  
“THAT’S ENOUGH! WE HAVE A CHALLENGE TO DO!” Their host shouted at them.  
  
“Nix!”  
  
“What? Time is money Dick.”  
  
They all gave Hoobler their last words before being herded away from the arena. Hoobler watched them go with a sigh.   
  
He looked over at Talbert, “Can I see that Doctor before I go?”  
  
The intern nodded swiftly, “Oh yeah. You definitely should…the pain only gets worse.”  
  
“Great.”  
  
  
  
  
  


**At the Beach**

  
  
  
  
  
Everyone gathered on the beach where there were two motor boats waiting. Nixon situated himself in between the two boats and Dick squinted behind him, looking out into the ocean.   
  
Not far off the shore there were what appeared to be two large blocks that were sticking up about 15 feet out of the water.   
  
“Okay contestants. Listen up. The challenge for the day is pretty simple. You see those two blocks out in the water? They aren’t just blocks, they’re blocks composed of singular columns that are designed to hold up to four people comfortably. There is a singular column for each person on your team.”  
  
Dick nodded, “The columns are close enough together that you can step onto the column next to you. Once each of you is standing upon your column, that’s when the challenge will start. Because each column will fall at random, forcing whoever is on the falling column to get safely onto another players column before they wind up in the water.”  
  
Nixon took over, “Now the overall object of this challenge is to end the game with the highest number of people possible on the block. So don’t just let your teammates fall, you need to help them get to another column as quickly as you can. And don’t get too comfortable. Because any column could be the next to go. Any questions?”  
  
“How will we know when the challenge is over?” Buck asked.   
  
Nixon just laughed, “Oh you’ll know. Take a minute and then get your team into a motorboat. The boat will take you to your block where you’ll each ascend a ladder up to your column.”  
  
  
  
  
  
Bill shrugged and pulled his shirt over his head. No wonder Dick had told them all to wear swim trunks.   
  
The kid, Babe, looked over at him, “Should I wear my sneakers?”  
  
Bill paused, noticing the kid’s accent for the first time, “Are you from Philly?”  
  
Babe paled, “Um when you say from…do you mean was I born there? Or do I live there?”  
  
Bill raised an eyebrow, “ I mean did you grow up there?”  
  
“Oh…then yeah. I’m from Philly. I knew you were I just yeah…so should I wear sneakers?”  
  
Bill nodded at the question, deciding the kid couldn’t be bad if he was from Philly. But wondered why he’d been so reluctant to confirm it.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dick and Lewis watched as they all piled into their separate boats and took off towards the blocks, where other boats were waiting with what looked like divers…who were apparently the ones who’d be toppling the columns.   
  
Harry popped up next to them, texting on his Blackberry, “Hey. How goes it?”  
  
Dick shrugged, “It hasn’t started yet. What are you texting?”  
  
“Got some new show names…”  
  
Nixon spun around and grabbed Harry’s shoulders, “What are they? Tell me! I need to know!”  
  
Harry paused and glanced up at him, “Uhh Surviving the Island, O Console…that’s Portuguese for The Island…or so I’m told.”  
  
“That’s it?”  
  
“You know Dick’s right…you never really have to say the name of the show until you do your individual shots. So stop freaking out.”  
  
Nixon grumbled under his breath.   
  
Harry slipped his phone into his shorts pocket, “Oh and guess what else?”  
  
Dick looked away from where the contestants were scaling the blocks, “What else?”  
  
“The prize money went up to $500,000.”  
  
Nixon gaped at him, “Are you serious? That’s great! Why’d they change their minds?”  
  
The more money the show had, the more people would be interested…and the more drive the contestants would have to win. This was excellent news.  
  
Harry grinned cheekily, “It seems that Renee found out something interesting about our little friend Eugene Roe. He’s a Katrina victim that..get this…works at a struggling free clinic in New Orleans. Which is why he’s trying to win the money.”  
  
Lewis shook his head, “No way. That’s too perfect! Tell me we got that on tape!”  
  
Harry sighed, “Unfortunately no. But we already put cameras up in her infirmary to rectify that mistake. Now Sink wants us to do a sit down interview with him and everyone else about why they want to win. It’d probably be easier if we knew why beforehand though. That way that can’t lie to us.”  
  
Nixon laughed, “Oh this is good.”  
  
Dick just frowned at them both. He knew that this is what Nixon did…but he didn’t feel right exploiting people.  
  
And he was concerned that it came so easily to his friend.   
  
Harry nudged Nixon, “Looks like they’re all set up. Grab a megaphone and you two get out there on a boat.”  
  
They nodded and took off.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Block**

  
  
  
  
Grant felt kind of wobbly standing above the water on a plastic column. “Does anyone else feel weird?”  
  
Luz kicked at his column, “They seem sturdy enough.”  
  
“It’s just the anticipation that’s bothering you.” Lipton reassured him.  
  
Grant nodded, “Okay…”  
  
Cobb gave him a bored stare, “You can swim. Right?”  
  
“Yes I can fucking swim! I’m just…a little hung over and would rather not HAVE to swim.”  
  
“Geez. Chill I was just asking.”  
  
Speirs looked thoughtful, “Does anyone not know how to swim?”  
  
Perconte coughed.   
  
Luz looked over quickly, “Frank are you shitting me? You don’t know how to swim!”  
  
“Shut up! I had a very traumatic experience.”  
  
“Jesus.”  
  
“Don’t worry.” Christenson chimed in, “I used to be a lifeguard.”   
  
Blithe frowned, “Isn’t that what those divers are for?”  
  
Speirs shook his head, “I think they would have mentioned it.”  
  
Penkala just squinted against the sun, “When is this thing going to start?”  
  
  
  
  


**The Blue Block**

  
  
  
  
  
“You better not let me fall!” Don quickly said in one breath.   
  
Skip pursed his lips, “Of course I won’t. Why are you so freaked? We’re not that high up.”  
  
Don shook his head, “I dunno. I just don’t like this stuff. I was always that kid that refused to go off the high diving board.”  
  
“You’ll be fine.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
“Would you two please stop talking?” Sobel groaned.   
  
Bill glared, “Shut up. You’re just pissed that you couldn’t get out of this too. Y’know if you weren’t such a chicken shit Hoob never would have gone into the One-on-One.”  
  
“I don’t know what you think I did but I assure you-”  
  
“SAVE IT!” They all snapped at their Captain.   
  
Evans reached over and patted Sobel on the back.  
  
Gene looked at the blonde, “Is your leg okay?”  
  
“Um..it stings a little-”  
  
“I’m sure it won’t hurt much longer,” Sobel cut in….forced concern coloring his voice. The last thing he needed was for his one ally to start making friends.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ALL RIGHT CONTESTANTS!” Nixon shouted up at them through his megaphone, floating on a boat a ways away. “BE READY BY THE SIGNAL!”  
  
The sound of a bull horn rung through the air and all the contestants covered their ears.  
  
Dick winced at the loud sound, “Well at least it wasn’t a gun this time.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Block**

  
  
They all paused, sure that they felt their columns shaking.   
  
Suddenly Luz’s column started to sway.   
  
Toye and Buck were on either side of him and both reached out to grab him at the same time.   
  
However Luz jumped forward onto Grant’s column as his went crashing away.   
  
The two men found themselves grasping at nothing and both went falling forward and into the water.  
  
Luz looked behind him at the sounds of splashes, “What the Hell?”  
  
Buck came up from under the water, “Um…sorry about that guys.”  
  
Speirs frowned, “Let’s try not to jump the gun next time okay?”  
  
Toye coughed up water and nodded as a boat came around to get them.   
  
Luz finally understood what had happened and smiled down, “Thanks anyway guys.”  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Blue Block**

  
  
  
  
They watched as the Red team lost two members.   
  
Bill sighed, “Let’s try not to do something retarded like that okay?”  
  
Webster looked around at their block, “Shouldn’t one of ours have moved already?”  
  
“Don’t jinx it!” Don hissed at him.   
  
They waited.   
  
“Crap!”   
  
They watched Skip look around wildly as his column began to drop.   
  
“Skip!” Don reached his hand out, Skip grabbed it and hopped onto the column with him.   
  
The whole team sighed and Muck grinned, “No problem.”  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Block**

  
  
Lipton sighed, “That went well.”  
  
Speirs was about to say something but then paused and looked down. Calmly he stepped onto Lipton’s column.   
  
They watched as two seconds later Ron’s column fell into the water.   
  
“Huh,” was all Blithe said.   
  
Christenson smirked, “That actually did go well.”  
  
“Yeah I didn’t even see that-” Penkala was cut off as his column dropped. Reaching out he grabbed the corner of Blithe’s and the blonde quickly squatted to pull him up.  
  
Penkala gazed down at the water with wide eyes as he sat on Blithe’s column, “That was way freaky.”  
  
“Well they did say it would be random,” Perconte pointed out.  
  
“Yeah. But I thought it would also be even!”  
  
  
  
  


**The Blue Block**

  
  
  
  
Liebgott gazed over at the Red team, “Wow they are getting screwed.”  
  
“No shit.” Bill agreed.   
  
Sobel swatted at a bug buzzing around his head, “That’s good news.”  
  
Evans column lurched forward suddenly and Sobel lazily grabbed the back of the blonde’s shirt and pulled him onto his column.   
  
The others actually looked impressed.   
  
Evans grinned brightly, “Thank you!”  
  
Sobel sighed, “Don’t mention it.”  
  
A little shake had him looking down at their column quickly, and not a moment later they were both plunging into the water.   
  
“Damn it!”  
  
“Lame.”  
  
Shifty peered down at the two of them, “You guys alright?”  
  
Evans nodded, looked around and started dog paddling toward a boat.   
  
Sobel groaned, “We’re fine…just defeated.”  
  
Babe looked at the two empty spots in the corner of their block, “This is like that game where you hop tees. If you don’t move around the right way…you could get stuck out all alone away from the other tees.”  
  
Gene looked over, “That’s a good point. What if the last column left is the one with only one person on it?”  
  
Bill nodded, “I see what you’re saying. Don’t just jump anywhere…great now we have to be fucking strategic about it.”  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Block**

  
  
  
  
“Any minute now.” Grant muttered looking at his and Luz’s column suspiciously.   
  
“Stop being a paranoid freak.” Cobb snapped.   
  
Blithe and Penkala felt their block move and went in opposite directions. Blithe going one way onto Buck’s empty column and Penkala hopping over to where Speirs and Lipton were.  
  
Speirs looked down at their column, they were okay for now. There were only three of them on there.   
  
However Blithe was on Buck’s corner column, with no other column to the right or left of him, only Grant and Luz diagonal to him.   
  
Christenson’s column started to fall as well and he darted to the side and onto Toye’s abandoned post. Burton frowned, noting that the only place to go now was Grant’s column as well. “I can see now how this can be difficult.”  
  
  
  


**The Blue Block**

  
  
  
  
  
“Okay so if your column falls…” David frowned trying to work out the best course of action for Gene in his head.  
  
Liebgott rolled his eyes, “This is pointless. It’s completely random, so reasoning it is pointless.”  
  
Bill sighed, “You’re probably right.”  
  
Bill tripped forward as his column started to move and went stumbling over onto Babe’s column, almost knocking the slighter body over with his own. But Babe grabbed Bill’s forearm and threw a foot behind him- steadying them both.  
  
Bill grinned and looked down at Babe’s feet, “Ain’t you glad you wore sneakers?”  
  
Babe laughed, “Yeah…but it’ll be gross when they get wet.”  
  
“So don’t get them wet.” Bill suggested.  
  
“Right.”  
  
Shifty’s column went next and he stepped forward at a diagonal towards Don and Skip. They both reached out and grabbed his arms, pulling him up and over to their column.   
  
But Skip slipped as he pulled back- sending him into the water. Don knelt down and looked over as Skip went under, “Shit! You okay?”  
  
Skip resurfaced and blinked water out of his eyes, “Yeah…haha I heard you even under the water. Worried much?”  
  
Don grinned, “You wish.”  
  
“Maybe.”  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Block**

  
  
  
Speirs looked over the strange Y shape their block was now in. If either of the two middle columns went out…they would be screwed.   
  
Fortunately (though not for him) Perconte, who was in a corner, started to fall. He flung an arm out and Lipton tried to grab him but missed. He fell into the water.   
  
Lipton couldn’t help but send a murderous glare at Cobb, who had been right next to Frank, “You didn’t even try and help him.”  
  
Cobb shrugged, “Too late now.”  
  
Everyone glared at him.   
  
After a moment Luz spoke up frantically, “Hey he hasn’t come back up yet.”  
  
They all looked over. Sure enough Frank hadn’t come up from the water and their wasn’t a boat coming over.  
  
“HEY!” Luz hollered over to the divers, “HEY GET OVER HERE!”  
  
  
  
  
  
Nixon frowned as he saw Luz waving his arms around and shouting, “What’s wrong?”  
  
Dick waved the diver’s forward, “Someone needs help…go over there.”  
  
A couple of boats took off.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Shit,” Christenson cursed, “Fuck this.”  
  
He dove straight off of his column and into the water. Everyone held their breath.   
  
Once underwater, Christenson spotted Frank barely under the surface kicking furiously.   
  
Swimming over to him, he hooked his arms under the man’s shoulders and pulled them both to the surface.   
  
Frank coughed viciously, “Thanks.”  
  
Christenson sighed in relief, “You need to learn to swim.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
The boats finally reached them.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Blue Block**

  
  
  
“What’s going on over there?” Webster wondered while looking at the commotion by the Red block.   
  
Babe laughed, “Whoa! Burton just took a dive off his column.”  
  
Gene smiled at Babe’s enthusiasm, but the smile went off his face as his column swiftly fell away. He jumped forward onto Babe’s column.   
  
Babe instinctively grabbed for him and Gene wrapped his arms around Babe’s waist. They found themselves a nose apart once more.   
  
Gene smiled and slowly let go of the younger man, he could get used to that sort of thing happening.   
  
Babe blushed and took his hands from Gene’s arms, “Sorry.”  
  
“Whoa!” Webster stumbled as his block went to the side, crashing into Liebgott’s. Webster stumbled into the other man who was knocked back by the very slight bump.   
  
Joe almost fell all the way off but David reached out quickly and grabbed his wrist, jerking him back up. Liebgott slammed against Webster’s chest hard.   
  
“Pull my arm out of my socket why don’t you.” Joe complained.   
  
Webster was about to snap that he hadn’t had to help him when he noticed something purple in the crook of Joe’s arm.   
  
Liebgott noticed that Webster hadn’t released his wrist, “What the Hell are you doing?”  
  
“What’s on your…”  
  
Liebgott jerked his arm back ferociously but Webster kept his grip.   
  
Joe shoved him hard which sent them both falling backwards into the water.   
  
Bill slapped a hand to his forehead, “What did I say about doing something retarded?”  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Block**

  
  
  
  
  
“He could have drowned asshole!” Luz snapped at Cobb who just rolled his eyes.   
  
“He’s fine! It’s not like I freaking shoved him into the water. Get over it already.”  
  
Luz felt his temper boiling over, “What? You didn’t shove him like this?”  
  
Cobb raised an eyebrow and let out an unmanly shriek as Luz lunged off of his column and tackled Cobb sending them both into the water.   
  
Grant laughed, “HA!”   
  
Suddenly Blithe yelped as his corner column dropped and he went backwards.   
  
This time Grant groaned, “Crap.”  
  
Suddenly Lipton’s column began to shake as well. Penkala hopped onto Grant’s column, and Speirs shoved Lipton onto Cobb’s abandoned spot but as the column went back realized he couldn’t make it himself and dove into the water.   
  
Lipton steadied himself and spun around to grab Speirs only to see him swimming off, “Huh…”  
  
He looked over at the only other column and the only two people left.   
  
  
  


**The Blue Block**

  
  
  
  
  
“What the Hell were they doing?” Don wondered after Liebgott and Webster went for a swim.  
  
Bill sighed, “Who knows. Joe has issues and Web seems awfully curious about them.”  
  
They all watched in boredom as Liebgott’s empty column sunk.   
  
Babe laughed, “They realize no one is on there right?”  
  
Gene smiled and pointed past Babe’s shoulder to the Red block, “Look. Three people.”  
  
Babe grinned, “We’ve got five and three are already on one column.”  
  
Shifty and Don’s column began to shake as well. Don made it over to them put Shifty stumbled into the water with a splash.   
  
A VERY loud bullhorn went off.   
  
“BLUE TEAM WINS!” Nixon hollered over his megaphone.   
  
Dick sighed, “I need an Advil.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Back on the Beach**

  
  
  
  
Luz sighed, “Sorry guys. I kinda fucked that up for us.”  
  
Toye shrugged, “If you hadn’t tackled him I would have…if I hadn’t you know….gotten eliminated right off the bat.”  
  
Luz smirked, “That was cool of you though.”  
  
Buck rolled his eyes- he had done the exact same thing!  
  
Speirs shrugged, “We all did our best.”  
  
Lipton thought that was bull….Christenson had done his best…Cobb could have done better.  
  
Dick walked over, “You guys probably already heard how it works.”  
  
Speirs nodded, “Back here in two hours?”  
  
Dick nodded and walked off.   
  
  
  
  
Webster tried to talk to Joe, “Look I was just curious….”  
  
“You ever do that shit again I’ll knock your pretty little head off your shoulders. Got it?”  
  
David gaped and watched Liebgott walk off in a huff.   
  
Wait…pretty?  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**2 Hours Later**

  
  
  
Nixon watched anxiously as Dick slowly poured over the votes, “Hurry up already!”  
  
Dick frowned, “Calm yourself.”  
  
Lewis huffed.   
  
Dick straightened up, “Okay. The two people that will be competing in tomorrows One-on-One will be Cobb-“  
  
Nixon snorted, “Oooh shocker.”  
  
“And Toye.”  
  
“Wait what?” Nixon looked over the votes, “Seriously…didn’t see that happening.”  
  
Luz jumped up, “Are you serious?”   
  
Toye sighed, “Great. Well I guess I….kinda deserved it.”  
  
“No…you didn’t,” Luz grumbled before walking off angrily.   
  
Buck offered Toye a hand up from the log he was seated on, “Don’t sweat it man. It’s not over.”  
  
“Right. Thanks man.”  
  
Buck slapped him on the shoulder, “Anytime.”  
  
Nixon watched them all walk off and then hissed at Moore, one of their cameramen, to come over.   
  
“What?” Moore asked.   
  
Nixon tilted his head, “Who voted for Toye?”  
  
Moore smirked, “Penkala, Blithe and Buck.”  
  
“Buck? His little BFF? Oh we are SO going to leak that shit!”  
  
Dick sighed, “Nixon…”  
  
But Lewis had already whipped out his cell phone, “Harry! Do I have some DRAMA. Get Talbert over to the house and have him tell Toye something.  _Discreetly_  Harry….discreetly.”  
  
Dick frowned and walked off…he needed different company for the night. He wasn’t liking where his current company was going…

 


	6. Tequila Is Not Your Friend

**Disclaimer:**  I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Well I think he’ll be just fine. But it was good of you to have him checked out. I hear you were quite the hero today.”  
  
Frank didn’t even know why he was still there. After the challenge had finished Christenson had insisted that he go see this doctor just to make sure he was alright.   
  
But the doctor was a beautiful, young, French woman named Renee and Christenson, with his apparently selective ADD, had been distracted by her shiny-ness.   
  
Christenson was leaning against the desk Renee was seated at and gave her an ‘Aw-Shucks’ smile. “It was nothing really. I used to be a lifeguard is all. What about you? Doctors are the real heroes.”  
  
Renee blushed and ducked her head before giving Burton what all men knew as ‘The Eyelash Flutter’.   
  
Frank had obviously outlived his usefulness. He had been Christenson’s metaphorical cute puppy- used to draw the woman in and then doomed to be neglected.   
  
Bros before Hoes his ass! But far be it from him to cock block. He was so outta there.  
  
  
  
  
  
Floyd knew he had been sent over to the contestant’s house to tell…somebody….something. And Harry had made it out to be a very urgent something.   
  
But it was important to remember that Floyd was a sex deprived intern surrounded by attractive, and (more importantly) drunk, young men. And any mission he was given took a backseat to the eternal goal of all men his age: getting laid.   
  
Really…Nix and Harry had no one to blame but themselves. They knew better.   
  
He took a quick survey of all his potential targets. Where to start?  
  
Ronald Speirs was….well he was smoking. Figuratively and…well literally…he was outside smoking.   
  
The main problem with him was that Harry, of all people, had claimed he was a major badass….and Harry wasn’t easy to impress.  
  
Frankly…Floyd didn’t want to know the terrifying things Speirs must have done to gain Harry’s admiration.   
  
Skip and Malarkey were both out of the question. They were too involved with each other. And speaking of involved-Toye and Buck were too busy with George Luz to realize that they were BOTH too busy with George Luz.   
  
On that note Luz kinda had his hands full…which was too bad because he gave Floyd slutty vibes. Oh well.   
  
Then there were Roe and Webster. Both, while painfully attractive, were also painfully wise to his game. As was Albert Blithe. They all fell under the ever growing category of Not Interested.  
  
He was about 80% sure that Lipton, Cobb, Perconte, Shifty, Sobel, Bill, and Penkala were all straight.   
  
Evans was, believe it or not, a little too odd for his tastes. He wanted Amy Winehouse crazy not Britney Spears crazy.   
  
There was a difference.   
  
Now on to those who had promise.   
  
Grant was definitely on the list- he was quickly establishing a reputation as Sir Drinks A Lot. So he was cute, funny and might get drunk enough to actually sleep with Floyd.   
  
Then there was Christenson. He wasn’t really crazy but he seemed slightly impressionable…maybe…or maybe that was just wishful thinking because Floyd found him so freaking attractive. So perfectly put together…so pleasant to look at and…so probably straight.   
  
Then there was this kid…this Babe. He hadn’t really seen him much yet. But he HAD been drugged out on LSD or some shit. So there was some sort of underlying recklessness there.   
  
Then of course there was Liebgott, who was Floyd’s favorite for a couple of reasons.   
  
First of all- HOT. In that ‘I’m thinking dirty thoughts while I lick my really, red lips and walk with my hips guiding me’ kind of hot.   
  
Secondly- he seemed like he would probably kick your ass afterward. And Floyd decided he was totally down with that. Seriously.   
  
Now all he had to figure out was how to get from point A to point B…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Babe was pretty sure that he was starting to get too comfortable. He was making friends, he was laughing, and he had bonded with Bill over their Philly roots. Which was both pleasant and unpleasant…because thinking of home never ceased to make him feel guilty.  
  
Basically...being comfortable was bad. Because when he got comfortable in an environment-he felt confident enough to be himself. And being him was just too much trouble.   
  
The way he figured, most people felt free to let out their inner crazy when they found themselves on TV. But Babe just felt the overwhelming desire to censor himself.   
  
Which was why he didn’t want to be the obviously underage drinker on camera (even if they were in another country). It was also why he’d acted so aghast when Hoobler had told him he’d been high (although that was mostly genuine shock) and it was why he just didn’t need to get comfortable.   
  
Being himself is what got him drugged by that green haired dude, beaten up multiple times, stalked, chained up in a basement in Santé Fe and also on this damn no-name, reality TV show!   
  
But once the confidence started to bubble up inside him there was no going back and when Bill smacked him in the shoulder playfully and asked him if he was drinking tonight Babe’s response had been “Hell yea.”  
  
So he had a few secrets? Who didn’t? Letting loose wasn’t going to make him spill his guts.   
  
It wasn’t like he was a murderer or a drug addict. He was just a bit of a wild child.  
  
He needed to stop being a pussy and have fun. And that was all there was to it!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Gene was tired, homesick and pretty sure that he had only said about 20 words in the past few days. His team was celebrating their victory pretty hard and even Babe, who Gene had sensed a kind of shyness in previously, was opening up and tossing back drinks.   
  
On the other hand, the red team seemed to be in a strange state. Luz had stormed in earlier shouting angrily and stomping off- Buck had followed him and everyone else seemed rather subdued.   
  
He felt someone’s presence to his left and looked over to see a member of the red team sit down next to him on the couch. The other man sighed and ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. Gene couldn’t remember his name.   
  
He was curious about the red team’s sour mood but kept quiet. It wasn’t his business anyway.   
  
Just when he had decided to stay silent, the other man looked over at him curiously and asked, “What are you doing over here? Shouldn’t you be celebrating with your team?”  
  
He nodded over towards the kitchen where Babe was flinging his arms out and making Bill, Muck and Don laugh.   
  
Gene just shrugged, “Not really my thing.”  
  
The man frowned, “Yeah…not really mine either. I’m Lipton.”   
  
Lipton held his hand out and Gene shook it and introduced himself, “Gene. So…why are you guys so down? One loss. Not a big deal...it’s only the third day.”  
  
Lipton sighed, “Honestly I think it’s Luz. He’s usually in such a good mood and his bad mood is kind of bringing everyone down.”  
  
“What’s the matter with him?”  
  
“He’s tight with Toye and he’s upset that he’s going into the one-on-one tomorrow. I’m sure Toye will win though.”  
  
“That’s what we thought about Hoobler.” Gene muttered and let his gaze slide back to the kitchen. Babe was laughing loudly as Bill handed him another drink. He wondered what it was that made the young man laugh.   
  
Lipton smiled at him, “You seem pretty interested in what’s going on over there.”  
  
Gene shook his head, “Not what…”  
  
Lipton followed his gaze and just said, “Oh…okay.”  
  
Gene stare at the other man for a moment, “Does that bother you?”  
  
Lipton’s mouth fell open, “No! No of course not. Um…I guess I’ve never really thought about it before.”  
  
That caught Gene’s attention, “You don’t know anybody who plays for that team?”  
  
Lipton chuckled, “I guess I do now.”  
  
“I play for both actually,” Gene told him, surprised to find himself even bringing it up…but the guy didn’t really seem to care. “You better get used to it.”  
  
“Why’s that?”  
  
“Let’s just say you’re probably going to see more of it then you ever have before.”  
  
Lipton looked around at the other contestants in surprise, “Seriously? Do you think they did that on purpose?”  
  
“What? Pick a bunch of gay guys?”  
  
Lipton shrugged, “I guess.”  
  
Gene shook his head, “Probably not. But I bet Nixon had something to do with it.”  
  
“What?” Lipton asked, “You think he’s gay?”  
  
“He’s something,” Gene laughed, “I’m sure he had a hand in the selection process.”  
  
Lipton smiled, looking less uncomfortable than he had originally, “Well I guess you’re right. Things are probably going to get interesting.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Luz…just calm down. He’ll do fine- you know that.”  
  
Luz crossed his arms across his chest and flicked some cigarette ash to the ground. He had gone to the side of the house, which was generally the most silent, to have a smoke and think about what was bothering him.  
  
However Buck and a couple of cameras had immediately followed- putting an end to any solitude he’d hoped to have.   
  
He sighed and looked over at the tall, blonde. “You know…I just…I guess I came on this show because I thought it would be fun and challenging and all that shit…and it is. So far. But like…now I’m getting to know people and if Joe gets eliminated that’ll just….really suck.”  
  
Buck leaned next to him against the house, “I know it. But it’s not going to happen. Cobb sucks…I mean he has to if even you got the drop on him.”  
  
Luz glared at him before a snort of laughter escaped, “You’re probably right….asshole.”  
  
“Hey now…is that anyway to talk to someone trying to lift your spirits?”  
  
“Because you’re doing such a great job. Besides I don’t need my spirits lifted.” Luz pointed out as he took a drag from his cigarette. “I just need to take my mind off it.”  
  
It being Toye…and how much he didn’t deserve to go. Hell Luz deserved it more than Joe did. In the challenge Toye had fallen off of his column trying to help Luz…Luz had fallen off because he was being a spastic freak.   
  
“I know just the thing,” Buck pushed off the wall and slid a little closer to Luz who, knowing where this was headed, took a final puff on his cigarette before tossing it to the ground.  
  
“Is that so?”  
  
Buck just nodded and leaned forward into Luz’s space with a grace that George found impressive considering their height difference.   
  
Never having been a fan of the exaggerated lead up, Luz stepped forward and eliminated the very little distance between them.   
  
He reached up and hooked his right arm around Buck’s neck before tilting his head back and allowing their lips to touch softly.   
  
Buck’s hands quickly found their way to Luz’s hips and George allowed the taller man to slowly push him back into the wall.   
  
One of Buck’s hands came up to cup the back of George’s head and pull him even closer, causing Luz to sigh into the other man’s mouth.  
  
Now Luz adhered to a very standard make out rule- which consisted of not opening his eyes until the kiss ended or it was obvious that more than making out was about to take place.   
  
For whatever reason he decided to break that rule- and almost had a heart attack when he saw how close a camera was to his face.   
  
He pulled his lips away from Buck’s, “Jesus!”  
  
Buck looked confused, “What is it?”  
  
“Fucking cameras.” Luz growled.   
  
Buck sighed, “Right…shit. Well just ignore them.”  
  
But Luz wasn’t in the moment anymore. He was thinking about It….and thinking about It made thinking the moment was a mistake.   
  
He gently pushed Buck away and ran a hand through his hair rapidly, “You know I should go check on Joe…we both should. Cause this could be his last night here.”  
  
He walked off quickly, deciding not to worry about the whole make-out thing right now. Trying to take his mind off of Toye wasn’t fair. Besides- if Joe did get eliminated tomorrow- then he would seriously regret not having hung out with him tonight.   
  
Buck, he was sure, not only understood that but probably felt the same way.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
David wasn’t sure why he kept doing this- especially when he thought the guy was an asshole. An asshole who had made it very clear he didn’t think much of David.   
  
But that night he found himself searching out Joseph Liebgott once more.   
  
When he was a child- his mother said his natural curiosity would take him far in life. He supposed she was right. It earned him good grades in high school which took him to a good college which gave him what he thought was a pretty good life.  
  
Back in California he was working with Marine biologists to write a text book on the subject matter. All the experience would hopefully help him write his own book one day. But it didn’t pay well…hence the reality show.   
  
On the other hand…when he was a teenager his father told him that his natural curiosity was going to get his ass kicked one day.   
  
He supposed he was right too.  
  
When he did find Liebgott the man was outside- sitting on a stone fence that cut the pool off from the hill behind the house. His back was to the house and he was alternating between drinking from a bottle of tequila and smoking a cigarette.   
  
David looked at the slump of his shoulders and wondered which outcome his curiosity would get him this time. Would it take him far or get his ass kicked?  
  
Rubbing his hands together he decided not to worry about it for now. At least there weren’t a lot of people out there. He was never too big on crowds or parties.   
  
“Hey,” he called out as he approached the other man. Liebgott turned his head and sighed upon recognizing him.   
  
David ignored this and climbed up the fence to sit next to him, “Look I realize that we got off on the wrong foot…repeatedly. But I just-okay I’m sorry…but was that bottle full when you got it?”  
  
Joe reluctantly acknowledged his question by peering at his tequila, “Yes…yes it was.”  
  
David made a face at the now two-thirds empty bottle. “Do you like live off of cigarettes and alcohol or something?”  
  
Liebgott looked at him and actually smiled, “What were you saying about getting off on the wrong foot?”  
  
Realizing he was doing it again, David rushed to correct himself, “I just mean…should you really being treating your body that way? What with you being…sick or whatever.”  
  
Joe shrugged, gazing at the Brazilian forest of which they had an excellent view, “Probably not.”  
  
David tried to sneak a look at the bruise he was sure he’d seen on Joe’s arm earlier that day, but it was too dark and the light didn’t reach this far away from the house.   
  
But he figured bullshit would be pretty easily deflected by Liebgott who probably thought every word out of his mouth was bullshit anyway. So he decided to be frank.   
  
“I want to know what’s on your arm.”   
  
Joe smirked, “Really? How bad?”  
  
David was confused, “What?”  
  
The other man pulled a leg up and shifted to face him. “Look- I don’t know you, we’re not friends. I don’t owe you anything. But...I’ll tell you for…I dunno…10 bucks.”  
  
David gaped, “Are you serious?”  
  
That infuriating smirk was back, “Yep.”  
  
Frowning, David reached for his wallet which was in the back of the jeans he’d put on after leaving his wet clothes in his room.  
  
“Fine.” He complained but slapped a $10 in Joe’s hand anyway. “So what is it?”  
  
Joe pocketed the money and exhaled more smoke, “They’re track marks. From the medicine I take.”  
  
“You inject yourself?”  
  
The other man nodded and took another drink of tequila, “You got it. Not all that interesting.”  
  
“What are you sick with?” He couldn’t help from asking.   
  
Joe frowned and climbed down from the fence, stumbling slightly from being inebriated. “One question at a time Web.”  
  
“It’s David. You realize you’ve got everyone calling me that now?”  
  
Joe squinted at him like he wasn’t making sense and waved the Tequila at him, “People are going to call you whatever they want to call you! Why do you fucking care?”  
  
David ignored his sudden irritability, “So you’re not going to tell me what’s wrong with you?”  
  
Joe started stumbling backwards and the distant light from the house hit him. David saw that his hair was messy, and his cheeks and lips were flushed red the way that some got when they’d been drinking.   
  
He was pale, too thin and angry. Just looking at him made David’s heart hurt for reasons he couldn’t understand.  
  
Joe let out a choked laugh, “Web man….we don’t have time to go over what’s wrong with me.”  
  
David knew they were talking about two different things now and couldn’t take his eyes off the intoxicated man.   
  
Looking down for a moment Liebgott raised his hand up and pointed at David, “You...you uh seem like a real...”   
  
Joe stopped mid slur, dropping his hand and lifting his head, “I was going to say nice guy…but you actually seem like a preppy prick.”   
  
David laughed a little in spite of himself, “That’s very…honest of you.”  
  
“Yeah,” Joe shrugged and stomped his cigarette into the ground, “What I’m trying to say here   
Web…is that you don’t need to know about my problems. They blow, alright? But they’re uh…they’re my problems and I wanna keep ‘em that way.”  
  
David opened his mouth to respond, but Joe was already stumbling away.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Oh sweet Jesus!” Nixon cried from where he was watching the feed from their set up security cameras.   
  
Dick, who was still upset with Nixon for sending Floyd to cause trouble, had lightened up when he remembered that Floyd would forget any instruction when surrounded by temptation.   
  
He was sitting in the surveillance room with Lewis, reading a book when the host had started making noises reminiscent of a dying hippo.   
  
When Nixon’s disgust was finally verbalized in English, Dick gave up trying to read and looked over at him, “What is it?”  
  
Nixon just shook his head, eyes glued to one of the many monitors, “Renee is straight up, full on, macking on Christenson!”  
  
Dick sat up straighter, “Seriously?”  
  
“I can’t make this shit up! Look at her!”  
  
Dick jumped up and walked over to Nixon, “No! Don’t look at her! Give her a little privacy Nix!”  
  
Lewis rolled his eyes, “No such thing, Dick. Not here. You know that- she knows that.”  
  
Dick frowned and physically wedged himself between Nixon and the monitor, blocking it with his body.   
  
Because Nix had been so close to the table Dick had to step over his legs and was half sitting on the metal table, and half straddling the now completely frozen host.   
  
But the red-headed man didn’t seem to notice that Nixon wasn’t properly functioning because he continued to talk, “She’s your friend Lewis! How can you just stand there and invade her privacy like that? It’s one thing to do it to the contestants but not Renee. She didn’t sign any contract!”  
  
Lewis just nodded; hyper aware of his friends knees brushing his thighs. They were so close that he could feel the heat coming from Dick’s very nice...very close body.   
  
“Furthermore I don’t understand why you’d watch since it so obviously grosses you out.”  
  
Something needed to happen because Lewis was about 2 seconds away from running his hands up Dick’s incredibly long legs and that would be very, very bad. Considering that Dick was his closest, most important friend and he’d managed not to do anything stupid like that so far. It’d be a shame to ruin it all now…  
  
The door to the surveillance room busted open and Harry walked in and paused- taking in their position, “Did I…interrupt something?”  
  
Nixon sprung into action and stood up from his chair so quickly he almost butted heads with Dick, “No! Nothing- we’re cool. I’m cool. Did you know Renee’s making out with a contestant?”  
  
They both stared at him.   
  
“I’m going to go.” That said Nixon practically fell over himself leaving the room.   
  
Harry looked at an equally confused Dick and raised his eyebrow, “What was that all about?”  
  
Dick shook his head, “Beats me. Maybe he has a thing for Renee?”  
  
“Hahahaha! As if! Are you SERIOUS?” Harry laughed.   
  
Dick frowned, “Well why not? They bicker all the time and he seemed pretty upset to see her making out with someone.”  
  
“That’s because he knows we can’t use footage of any crew members- so no one will know that Christenson hooked up with anyone.”  
  
“Well he might still be jealous.” Dick suggested only to have Harry shake his head.   
  
“Look Dick- he does NOT have a thing for Renee.”  
  
“How can you be so sure?”  
  
Harry laughed again, “If you don’t already know then far be it from me to tell you.”  
  
The producer then turned to go and look for Nixon leaving Dick alone and very confused.  
  
Know what?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Floyd was blending in behind the camera men pretty well-watching the contestants come and go. He heard laughter coming towards him.   
  
“Nah guys- not a big deal. I’ll show you. I just need someone to practice on who can’t….oh I got it!”  
  
Not two seconds later Talbert was faced with an insanely adorable and incredibly drunk young red head with a wide smile.   
  
This must have been Babe.   
  
The young man grinned, “Can I borrow you for a sec?”  
  
Floyd grinned right back, “Absolutely.”  
  
Babe grabbed his wrist and tugged him into the kitchen- Floyd wasn’t sure what was going on but he hadn’t had great luck lately so he wasn’t entirely optimistic.   
  
Babe was laughing and left him next to the counter to go and get something. Floyd noticed that Skip, Don, Grant, Perconte and Penkala all looked rather amused.   
  
Man they had gathered a crowd, although it WAS a large kitchen. What was Babe planning to do?  
  
Suddenly Babe was back with Tequila, a salt shaker and a lemon wedge.   
  
He put the lemon wedge in Floyd’s mouth, “Hold that. Now…do you mind if I lick you?”  
  
Floyd stared at him blankly. Um…NO!  
  
But since he couldn’t talk he just shook his head.   
  
Babe grinned, “Awesome.”  
  
He leaned forward and put his mouth on Floyd’s neck-sucking for a moment and the intern tried not to moan when he felt his tongue swirl over his skin.   
  
Pulling away Babe poured salt onto the spot of Floyd’s neck he had moistened, and proceeded to lick the salt off (and boy was Floyd’s luck changing) before taking a swig of tequila.   
  
Then he laughed, leaned forward and sucked the lemon out of Floyd’s mouth.   
  
When he was done he turned back to the gathering and bowed, “That is how you do a body shot with tequila. Frankly you guys are losers for never having done them before.”  
  
Floyd’s brain was still shutting down from the hotness.   
  
Suddenly one of the camera men spoke up, “Babe- why don’t you do that to one of the contestants?”  
  
Floyd knew he was only suggesting it because they couldn’t use any footage with Floyd in it. But Babe was too drunk to understand that.   
  
So he just nodded, “Sure.”  
  
At that moment Liebgott came strolling through the kitchen- his own bottle of tequila in hand and Babe waved him over. “Joe! Can I borrow your neck?”  
  
Liebgott, who also seemed very drunk-but in more control of his facilities than Babe, looked at the laid out items before grinning, “Body shots huh? Sure why not?”  
  
Joe figured he was messed up and Babe was hot. So he certainly didn’t see the problem.   
  
He leaned against the kitchen counter, stuck a lemon in his mouth and tilted his head back as Babe sucked on his neck.   
  
When Babe had finished the shot, Joe put his hands on the other man’s narrow hips and swung him around, successfully reversing their positions. “My turn.”  
  
Babe just laughed when Joe licked his neck. However he was drunk enough to have forgotten to put the lemon in his mouth so when Joe had finished his shot and went up to Babe’s lips, the only thing he was sucking out of the young man’s mouth was his tongue. Which was fine with him.  
  
“Am I dreaming?” Floyd asked no one in particular as the two began to make out and the contestants that had gathered stared in shock. Malarkey, Skip and Penkala making catcalls and whistling.  
  
Someone pinched him in the arm, “OW!”  
  
Luz shrugged at his pain, “You’re awake and holy shit did I miss something or what?”  
  
“Whoa…Joe he’s a bit young for that.” Shifty had come back into the kitchen and was shocked at what he saw.   
  
Liebgott pulled his lips away from Babe and raised his eyebrow at the red head, “How old are you?”  
  
Babe grinned, “Nineteen.”  
  
Joe shrugged at Shifty “That works for me.”   
  
Shifty gaped and then turned to gently smack Grant in the shoulder, knowing he was the only other person in the room that knew Babe was only seventeen.   
  
Grant shrugged and Shifty went off to find Bill before things got out of hand.   
  
Babe let his fingers curl around the top of Joe’s jeans, “Your room only has 3 people right?”  
  
Joe laughed, “Yeah. Good idea…”  
  
He pushed back from the counter and followed Babe out of the kitchen. This was actually probably a bad idea but all he was thinking right now was that Babe tasted like tequila and something sweet- which was strange considering the salt.   
  
Either way. He wanted to taste it again without an audience. The kid was obviously just looking for some fun- who was Joe to turn him away?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Cobb was busy sulking in his room and trying to ignore the racket that was coming from downstairs. They could get drunk and be stupid all they wanted but he had to focus on the upcoming task.   
  
He wasn’t sure how good the odds of beating Toye were but if the challenge was anything like the one Evans and Hoobler had been in he might stand a chance.   
  
He was trying to think of possible scenarios in his head when the door to the room he shared with two members from the blue team was flung open and Liebgott stumbled in with a couple of camera men following.   
  
The main reason for the stumbling was probably because his lips were attached to someone and his eyes were closed.   
  
Joe and the red-head- Cobb couldn’t remember his name- fell against the wall and Joe pulled their lips apart to pull his shirt over his head.   
  
“Oh what the FUCK?” Cobb shouted when his roommate started to push up the other participant’s shirt as well.   
  
Joe glared, “Why are you still in here? Get the fuck out!”  
  
Roy didn’t need to be told twice and he shot up from his bed, fled the room and slammed the door behind him.   
  
They were going to what? Have sex in his room? That was unacceptable!  
  
He heard footsteps and looked up to see his other roommate approaching.   
  
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.” He warned.   
  
Eugene Roe raised his eyebrows, “Why’s that?”  
  
“We’ve been sexiled.”  
  
“Beg your pardon?”  
  
“Liebgott’s in there with someone.”  
  
Gene laughed, “What? Who?”  
  
“How the fuck would I know? Someone on your team! Some red-head.”  
  
He wasn’t sure why but the amused smile that had been on his roommates face fell so quickly it was almost comical.   
  
Not knowing what to do now- Cobb just stomped off.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Shifty finally found Bill drinking a beer in the living room and talking with Speirs and Lipton. “Hey Bill- I need your help with Babe.”  
  
Bill rolled his eyes, “I told the kid no one would do body shots.”  
  
“Actually someone did body shots and then some.”  
  
That caught the man’s curiosity, “What are you talking about?”  
  
“Last I saw he and Liebgott had their tongues down each other’s throats.”  
  
Lipton started to laugh. Speirs looked at him, “What?”  
  
“Nothing just…Gene was right is all.”  
  
Bill stood up, “No way am I gonna let him make an even bigger fool of himself. Fine- let’s go see if we can sober him up.”  
  
Grant came up to them, “Yeah they’re not in the kitchen anymore.”  
  
Speirs frowned, “Where are they?”  
  
“I think they went up to Liebgott’s room.”  
  
If it had been anyone else Bill wouldn’t have given a shit. But Babe was a good kid and he’d be damned if he let him have drunken sex on national television!  
  
Speirs leaned back, “I’d hurry if I were you.”  
  
Bill cursed and he and Shifty headed towards the stairs.   
  
When they reached the room they were pretty sure was Joe’s they saw Gene staring at the door blankly.   
  
Bill nudged him, “How long have they been in there?”  
  
Gene shook his head, “I just got here so not long.”  
  
Bill figured that if they were actually in the act of having sex, the camera crew would be outside the door.   
  
Well…the worst that could happen is that he’d be scarred for life. But he didn’t want Babe to do something he’d regret in the morning.   
  
He banged on the door, “Babe! It’s Bill- I’m coming in and you better be decent!”  
  
And just like that- all Gene’s hopes that it had been Don were squashed like a bug.  
  
Shifty saw his face and elbowed him in a friendly manner, “Don’t sweat it. He just drank too much. He probably can’t tell a square from a triangle.”  
  
Just then Bill came out of the room- Gene hadn’t even realized he’d gone in- dragging Babe by the arm behind him.   
  
“Whoa- Bill you seem mad! Are you mad at me? I told you I get sooooo drunk.” Babe was rambling on and on. He was shirtless and at some point had taken off his shoes, and the button on his jeans was undone. His pants were sliding down slightly and his hip had rapidly fading red marks from someone’s fingers.   
  
Bill sighed, “I’m not mad at you.”   
  
Then Bill gently shoved Babe forward and he tripped into Gene, “Why don’t you guys take him to his room?”  
  
Gene sucked in a quick breath when Babe dropped his head on his shoulder, “Haha I’m so wasted. Tequila is the devil.”  
  
Shifty noticed that Gene seemed kind of at a loss when he had his arms full of a drunk and shirtless Babe, so he stepped forward and took one of the kid’s arms.   
  
“Come on, Babe.” Shifty said in what he hoped was a soothing voice, “Let’s get you some water.”  
  
Gene just watched in frustration as Shifty led Babe down the hallway. What was wrong with him? The only time he ever got close to Babe was when he was intoxicated it seemed.   
  
What really shocked him was that even after Babe’s less than model behavior- Gene still wanted to get to know him…it didn’t make any sense! He never acted like this!  
  
What was it about Babe?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Bill glared down at Joe, “What is wrong with you?”  
  
Liebgott glared right back and got to his feet so he could utilize his height, “Nothing! What crawled up your ass?”  
  
“He’s obviously too wasted to know what he’s doing? You were taking advantage of him!”  
  
“Please- what are you his fucking mother?” Joe got into the other man’s space. God he couldn’t fucking stand it when people bossed him around.   
  
“Get out of my face.” Bill snapped and shoved Liebgott hard on the shoulder.   
  
That was the last straw for Joe and his arm went back and up.   
  
His fist hit Bill’s jaw with a loud smack.   
  
Bill shoved him back and took a swing that caught Joe in the stomach.   
  
“Shit!” One of the camera men cursed and ran out to go and find Bull and Martin.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“You’re shitting me?” Harry exclaimed into his phone, “That’s great. Yeah….whatever no one cares. Did you tell Toye about Buck? NO!? Well…you know what forget it…this is even better.”  
  
“What is it?” Nixon asked seeing the glee in his producer’s eyes.   
  
“Hmmm let’s just say this. Body shots, sex and Liebgott finally punched somebody.”  
  
Nixon smiled, “I love my job.”  
  



	7. Who Can You Trust?

**Disclaimer:** I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas    
or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!   
  
Also I know that ‘Jo’ is commonly the feminine form of that name but I needed a way to separate them better in my head- as I don’t think it’s fair to call some of them by their first name and some by their last. Toye’s just going to have to deal.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When Babe blinked his eyes open at 10am that morning- the first thing he saw was someone kneeling next to his bed with their back turned to him and hunched over his nightstand.    
  
Taking in the bottle of water, dark head of hair and the scribbling- he had a pretty good idea who it was. He sat up slightly and groaned at the pounding in his head.   
  
“ Leaving me another post it?” He asked.   
  
Gene paused and stopped writing. Turning around he gave Babe a sheepish look, “Hey…how’re you feeling?”   
  
Babe wasn’t sure how to describe how he was feeling. He grabbed his head and winced, “Like I drank too much tequila.”   
  
Gene just nodded, “Yeah.”   
  
Babe stared at him for a second before asking, “Did we have sex?”   
  
Gene’s mouth fell open and a dark blush came to his cheeks. So few people blushed anymore…   
  
“ N-no! No we didn’t. Um…do you not remember anything?”   
  
“ I remember almost having sex with someone.”   
  
“ That was Liebgott.”   
  
Babe sighed and flopped back onto his pillow. Rolling onto his stomach he looked at Gene lazily, “So how obnoxious was I?”   
  
Gene laughed softly- which Babe’s headache was grateful for- and sat on the edge of Babe’s bed, “You weren’t obnoxious. You were just drunk. It happens to everybody.”   
  
“ Oh yea? How about you? Ever been black out drunk?”   
  
“ Just once…in high school.”   
  
Babe laughed a little, “Good ole high school parties.”   
  
Gene shook his head, “That was forever ago.”   
  
He figured Gene for about 20 but decided to ask anyway, “How old are you?”   
  
“ Twenty-three. You?”   
  
Babe used to get this weird feeling at the back of his neck when he would lie. But he’d stopped feeling that when he was 12. Now lying came second nature to him, “Nineteen.”   
  
Lie. He was still 17….actually hadn’t been 17 that long. So when he had told Shifty, Grant, and Webster that he would be 18 soon he had been lying. But he really didn’t want to get kicked off the show and damn did he need the money.    
  
But it was just a white lie. It didn’t hurt anybody and it wasn’t really important. Besides…if it made his life easier it was a good thing.    
  
He sighed, “I need to get up. And shower- Jesus I reek of booze.”    
  
He started to get out of the bed but Gene stopped him by placing a hand on his chest. Babe sighed at the coolness of his fingers through his shirt. He might actually still be kinda drunk.    
  
Gene held out a couple of pills and the water, “Take these first.”    
  
Babe nodded, took the pills and tossed them back with a drink. When he was done he gave Gene a small smile, “Thanks…again.”   
  
“ Not a problem.”   
  
“ You seem to like taking care of people.”   
  
  
  
Gene was tempted to say ‘I seem to like taking care of you’ but didn’t want to freak Babe out. Instead he just said, “It’s kind of my job back home.”   
  
“ Oh yea? Well you should tell me about that…later. First I need to get less disgusting….then I need to make me and Joe something. How much time do we have before the thing?”   
  
Gene thought for a moment, “Talbert said they moved the one-on-one to noon now. So maybe an hour and a half?”   
  
“ That’s plenty of time. Thanks Gene.” Babe smiled and then leaned forward quickly to give his caretaker a quick peck on the cheek.    
  
He scrambled out of bed to take a shower, not waiting to see Gene’s reaction.    
  
Gene just stared at the spot where Babe had been before smiling and putting a hand to his cheek.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Liebgott stared at the black case for a moment, fingers fiddling with the clasp and trying to will himself to just put it away. But he knew he wouldn’t.    
  
He was alone in his room, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He couldn’t remember if he’d slept but he thought he might have passed out for a couple of hours.   
  
He’d finally made the decision to open the case when there was a knock at his door. Clenching his jaw he stuffed it back under his pillow.    
  
A sudden crawling sensation on his skin caused him to rub his arms viciously-trying to make it stop, “Yeah come in.”   
  
The door opened and Liebgott froze when Bill walked inside.   
  
“ The fuck do you want?” He asked, shooting him an ugly look. Their fight hadn’t gotten very far the night before but Joe was still pretty pissed off.    
  
Pissed off at himself for getting that drunk. Pissed off at Webster for getting in his business. Pissed off at Bill for acting like he was the bad guy when he had been way more drunk then Babe.   
  
Basically he just found that he was pissed off. It was a common theme these days.    
  
The other man held his hands up, “To talk and to uh…apologize…”   
  
  
Bill trailed off as he took a good look at Joe.    
  
The guy was a mess. He was pale, had deep circles under his eyes and was rubbing his arms rapidly as if he were cold.    
  
Joe glared, “What?”   
  
Shaking his head Bill decided to get to his point, “Look- I’m sorry I gave you shit about Babe. But I think you both would have regretted it. And as for the fight…man we were drunk. I’m sorry.”   
  
Joe stilled, “Fuck….yeah I was pretty fucking wasted.”   
  
Bill nodded and rubbed his jaw- where there was a light bruise forming, “Yeah yer stronger than you look too.”   
  
“ What a fucking compliment.”   
  
Damn he couldn’t do anything right with this guy.    
  
The truth was that Bill DID feel bad. Not that he’d broken things up- but that he had assumed Liebgott was at fault. Especially when Skip had later told him that it had been Babe’s idea to take off to Joe’s room.    
  
Secondly, he couldn’t believe he’d actually shoved the guy. He got a little bull-headed when he drank but he felt kind of ashamed getting into a fight with someone he could floss with.    
  
“ Look Joe. Like I said-I’m sorry. The thing with Babe was no one’s fault-least of all yours. So why don’t you grab a shower and come downstairs. Babe’s up and he’s fixing you something…well something weird.”   
  
Liebgott gave him another dark look, “Stop fucking bossing me around. What you gonna by  _ my _ mommy now?”   
  
Bill clenched his fists, “You know what? Yeah…I am. I mean- look at you! You’re obviously incapable of taking care of yourself. So get up, take a shower, get dressed and get your ass downstairs.”   
  
“ Fuck you.”   
  
Okay this was just ridiculous.   
  
“ You’re going to thank me for this one day.” Bill promised as he started to approach the other man.    
  
Joe frowned, not really having the energy for another fight in him. “What the fuck are you doing?”   
  
Bill said nothing but leaned down, hooked his arms around Joe’s waist and heaved the thin man off the bed and into the air.    
  
“ FUCKING PUT ME DOWN!” Joe hollered as he kicked his legs out wildly. However Bill had come up behind him and he was only hitting air.    
  
Turning his head to avoid an elbow to the face, Bill tightened his grip around Joe’s stomach and dragged him into the hallway and over to the bathroom.    
  
Once inside he hauled the kicking man into the shower and quickly turned the hot water knob.    
  
Liebgott froze as the water hit him and rapidly soaked through his clothes. Bill stepped back and put his hands on his hips. “There. Feel better now?”   
  
Liebgott just gaped at him, water dripping from his mouth, “I…can’t believe you just did that.”   
  
Bill shrugged, “It needed to be done. You looked like shit. You need a shower. When you’re done- come and eat something.”   
  
“ You don’t apologize well.”   
  
“ I’ll make you some eggs.”   
  
“ I fucking hate you.”   
  
“ Yeah, yeah.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz finally found Toye downstairs that morning. He was watching with Penkala as Babe poured numerous questionable items into a blender.    
  
Grabbing a stool he hopped up to sit and nudged Toye with his elbow. “So I was looking for you last night.”   
  
Jo raised an eyebrow-clearly amused, “Oh really? Did you try…I dunno…our room?”   
  
Luz cursed, “Shit. That’s where you were? Seriously?”   
  
Toye laughed, “Yeah there I was and there I stayed. I was resting...big day and all.”   
  
That made Luz stop smiling, “Yeah…you nervous?”   
  
Jo shook his head, “Nah. Besides…I heard Cobb didn’t get any sleep with Liebgott and Babe screwing in his room.”   
  
Webster, who was reading at the other end of the counter, abruptly set his book down and eyed Babe, “You and Joe had sex?”   
  
“ NO!” Babe growled, “Not thanks to Bill anyway.”   
  
Bill glared from where he was scrambling eggs on the stove, “Yes...how awful of me to prevent you both from doing something stupid. Ingrate.”   
  
“ Besides,” Skip chimed in taking a seat next to Alex, “You were both too drunk to get it up anyway.”   
  
Babe picked up a spoon and flung it at Muck’s head.    
  
Malarkey came in behind him, dodging the spoon, and hopped up to sit on the counter. He nodded in understanding, “Ah…I see. Whiskey dick.”   
  
Babe glared in his direction and turned the blender on to cover up their laughter.    
  
Webster looked around, “Where is Joe anyway?”   
  
Liebgott walked in at that moment, wet hair clinging to his forehead, and sent a dark look at Bill who just gave him a tight smile. “I’m right here.”   
  
Babe saw him and cut off the blender, “Hey man. So…we were pretty wasted. But I figure there are worse people to almost have drunken sex with. So uh…are we cool?”    
  
Joe smirked and gave a little nod, “Yeah kid…we’re cool.”   
  
“ So I made us this really great hangover cure that I learned in Cabo.”    
  
“ Don’t drink it!” Don warned.    
  
Penkala nodded, “I swear he put a dirty sock in there.”   
  
“ I did not! Shut up!” Babe shouted as he poured the gray slushie into a cup. He handed it to Liebgott.   
  
Joe accepted it warily, “Thanks.”   
  
Babe frowned, “Although it wouldn’t hurt to pinch your nose while you drink it.”   
  
Joe sighed, “Do I even want to know what’s in this?”   
  
Everyone in the kitchen shook their head. Joe shrugged and drank it anyway.    
  
Webster got up and poured some orange juice into a glass. When Joe was done drinking Babe’s concoction and looked ready to vomit David handed him the juice.    
  
Joe snatched it and gulped it down, “Thanks you guys.”   
  
David nodded like it was nothing and went back to his book.    
  
Babe smiled, “Least I could do after springing the tequila shots of doom on you.”   
  
“ Man-tequila and I don’t mix.” Joe confessed.   
  
“ Same here.”   
  
“ Y’all are just lightweights!” Grant hollered from the living room.    
  
They ignored him and Liebgott touched his forehead. “I think that shit’s actually helping Babe.”   
  
Bill slid a plate of scrambled eggs in front of both of them.    
  
Babe thanked him and picked up a fork.    
  
Joe looked at his plate distastefully, “I’m really not hungry.”   
  
“ Eat!” Webster and Bill snapped simultaneously.    
  
“ Or do you want a repeat of the shower incident?” Bill asked.    
  
Joe glared and remembered that this is why he didn’t have friends. They were always giving a shit about your welfare.    
  
“ Fine. But I’m not going like it and I’m just going to throw them up later.” He promised.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ And then they just started making out”, Floyd continued to ramble on about the previous night like some freaking middle-schooler and Nixon was  _ this _ close to pulling his hair out.    
  
“ OKAY! You need to shut up now.” He snapped at the overly happy intern. He rolled his eyes at Floyd’s pout, “I mean seriously- you really are sex deprived. Jesus.”   
  
He was about to further dampen the young man’s spirits by reporting the newly discovered sexual orientation of Christenson but stalled when he saw Dick walking towards them.    
  
His best friend was looking over some notes absentmindedly and the mere sight of him made Lewis feel panicky. What with the whole one-sided sexual tension that had crept back up on Nixon the other night after years of having been ignored (quite well he thought).   
  
Dick looked up from his notes with a smile and just as he was about to reach them Lewis –having never been a smooth operator under duress- turned to Floyd flinging his arms out.    
  
“ You know what I wanna know? I wanna know why we have a FULLY set up arena and crew with NO FUCKING CONTESTANTS!?”   
  
Floyd jumped what could have been an estimated two feet off the ground before zipping away to the house, leaving the host alone with the source of his unease.    
  
Dick frowned at him, “Geez Nix. Calm down. Everything’s fine. Look about the other night- you seemed really wound up and I just wanted to check and see-”   
  
“ What? What happened last night? I don’t remember. Maybe you’re acting weird. Ever think about that? What’s with all the accusations? Get off my back! I have to pee!”   
  
Done with his neurotic outburst, Nixon whirled around and marched off.    
  
Dick watched him go, confusion clearly expressed on his face. He shook his head and walked over to Harry, “Am I in the Twilight Zone? Nixon’s acting really strange lately.”   
  
His producer laughed, “You’re not in the Twilight Zone- you’re just in the same zone as the rest of us for once.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Once the contestants were assembled in the arena Nixon finally felt himself breathe easy. If he was working then he wouldn’t be freaking out over his pathetic personal problems.    
  
Now he just had to- wait a second…   
  
“ Where’s Christenson?” he asked loudly.    
  
“ Who cares? Do we really need him for this?” Luz griped from the stands.    
  
Nixon supposed they didn’t and was about to call down the two participants for the challenge when the missing red member came jogging up to the stands.    
  
“ Sorry, sorry. I was just caught up with a thing…”Christenson babbled as he went to take a seat next to Buck on the red side of the bleachers.    
  
“ Riiight.” Nixon drawled, “Which is why your shirt is on backwards I’m sure.”   
  
Burton looked down at his shirt, “What? No...it’s Thursday right? Isn’t that backwards…clothes…day?”   
  
He coughed at all the strange looks he received.    
  
“ Smooth dude.” Buck informed him.    
  
Since Nixon was under contract not to savagely beat any of the contestants he ignored the interruption and moved on, “Okay…whatever. The Red team lost yesterday’s challenge. Therefore the two contestants competing in today’s one-on-one will be Toye and Cobb. Guys come down to the arena and I’ll explain today’s rules.”   
  
Luz reached out and squeezed Jo’s shoulder in what he hoped was a very encouraging and not at all clingy manner, “Good luck.”   
  
Toye smirked, “Thanks man.”   
  
He walked down and noted that Cobb really did look kind of shitty-like maybe he  _ hadn’t _ slept well. He felt rather bad for the guy- sure he was kind of a prick, but they didn’t all have to treat him like shit.    
  
He sighed knowing it was too late to start being nice to the guy and focused on paying attention to Nixon.    
  
Nixon was gesturing behind him to the arena, where there was a stand set up with a long metal pole horizontally attached to the top, “Today’s one-on-one is called ‘Push Me’. And it’s much more physically demanding than ‘The Duel’ which sent Hoobler home.”    
  
“ You see-this metal pole is movable,” he walked up next to said object and pushed at it- sending the pole swinging forward. “Each of you will be placed at opposite ends of the pole. As you can see there’s a bell about three feet ahead of the pole and an equal distance away from each of you.”   
  
“ The object of this game,” Dick cut in, “is to push at your end of the pole with all your strength- which is made difficult because you’re pushing against one another. Eventually one of you will overpower the other, and your side of the pole will move forward- taking you to the bell. The first person to ring the bell is the winner. The other will be sent away from the island.”    
  
Nixon added, “Oh…and try not to drag this out will ya?”   
  
Jo rolled his eyes at the host as he and Cobb took their places at opposite ends of the pole.    
  
Cobb placed his hands on his side, with his palms flat and leaning slightly to his right.    
  
Jo studied him before wrapping his arms around his end of the pole in a kind of hug and setting up his stance so that he wouldn’t be knocked off balance.    
  
Cobb looked over at Nixon, “What’s the signal-”   
  
A gunshot went off.    
  
This time no one jumped, only glaring at their host, and Roy immediately threw his weight onto the pole. However it didn’t move or budge the slightest bit.    
  
He looked over to see that Toye was steeled in place, his arms tightened around the pole and not even pushing back.    
  
Jo, for his part, figured he’d let Cobb wear himself out before he bothered to start pushing. For now he would just absorb all of Cobb’s efforts.   
  
And Cobb was certainly wearing himself out as he continued to push at his end of the pole with his hands. He was basically walking in place and it looked to Dick that he was attempting to move a brick wall.    
  
Toye wasn’t completely unaffected however as the judge noted that his mouth was set in a determined line and he was struggling to maintain his stance.    
  
Then Cobb, in what was probably desperation, moved his feet side by side as he threw all his weight onto the pole with his right shoulder.    
  
Jo saw it as an opportunity to knock his opponent off balance and put his weight onto his end, running forward slightly.    
  
The move worked and because Cobb hadn’t maintained his defensive stance, he was knocked backwards and fell to the ground.    
  
Pushing the pole forward Jo reached out and rung the bell. He sighed at the sound it made and slumped to the ground, worn out.    
  
The red team erupted in cheers.    
  
“ All right, all right!” Nixon hollered over their shouting.    
  
Jo picked himself up off the dirt and went over to Cobb- offering him a hand to help him up.    
  
Cobb glared and Jo thought he might blow him off, but he accepted the help and Jo smiled as the other man stood, “Good job man.”   
  
“ Whatever,” his opponent mumbled.    
  
Jo just sighed and clapped Cobb on the back as they walked over to Nixon. The host was still telling their team to shut up.    
  
“ Yes yes, you’re very pleased-we get it.” Nixon hollered. The red team quieted down but both they and multiple members of the blue team were smiling.    
  
“ Well Cobb- hate to break it to you but your time here is up.” Nixon informed the bitter looking blonde.    
  
Roy didn’t really have anyone to say goodbye to, so he took off towards the house the moment the attention turned to Jo.    
  
‘ Good riddance,’ Luz thought as he watched him sulk off. He then hopped the barrier between the bleachers and the arena.    
  
Buck frowned as Luz practically jumped on Toye’s back- spewing congratulations.    
  
“ You all still have a CHALLENGE you know!” Nixon yelled amidst their mini-party.    
  
They all ignored him for now.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sobel knew he wasn’t in a good spot with his team. At this point they all knew he had made himself sick to get out of the first one-on-one.    
  
If he wanted to keep himself out of the arena he’d have to A) make sure he could convince others to vote with him, B) make sure his team won or C) if he thought he was going in vote for the weakest player to compete against. Since his vote counted twice- there was a greater chance that he could pick his competitor.    
  
Yeah…that could work.    
  
  
  
  
  
“ Okay contestants. For today’s challenge we’ve decided to attempt the first in a series of team-building activities. And what better way to do that then with a simple trust exercise?”   
  
The contestants were all led to the bottom of a cliff off the side of the beach where they normally had their voting sessions.    
  
The rock was already equipped with a harness that was connected by string to an anchor at the top and there was rock climbing gear laid out on the ground.    
  
“ Oh great,” Sobel muttered looking over the equipment.    
  
“ That’s right!” Nixon chirped to them, “This exercise will split you into pairs. It will also require one team member to scale this teeny little cliff.”   
  
Dick gave them a small smile, “Now we’ll be top-roping. Which means that there’s an anchor set up at the end of the climb, with a rope running through it that will be attached to the climber’s harness. The other end of the rope will be with a team member who will be on the ground acting as a belayer to prevent any falls for the climber by holding on to the rope. Obviously this requires a lot of trust.”   
  
“ Yeah trust, team building…all that junk’s great.” Nixon waved the concept off, “But at its heart this is a race. You all have to complete the rock climb because we’ll be timing you. So do so quickly- because whichever team has the fastest combined time is the winner of this challenge. Any questions?”   
  
Grant began to open his mouth but Nixon quickly cut him off, “No? Awesome. Captains go first so we have Lipton and Speirs for the Red team and let’s say…Bill and Sobel for the Blue team. You decide who is climbing.”   
  
  
Sobel frowned, he knew that Guarnere certainly didn’t think much of him and the feeling was mutual.    
  
But really-how hard could this be?   
  
The two met up next to the climbing gear. Sobel picked it up and handed it to Bill, “I am NOT climbing that thing.”   
  
It was a struggle for Bill not to roll his eyes. He was tempted to ask if Sobel was afraid of heights or something. But honestly? He didn’t give a shit.   
  
“ Fine whatever.” He snapped at the Captain and took the equipment.   
  
  
Lipton eyed the harness before looking at Speirs who was in turn eyeing the cliff with a look that suggested he was unimpressed. But Carwood figured he looked at everything that way.    
  
“ So,” he gently poked the preoccupied man in the shoulder, “Need help getting this stuff on?”   
  
Ron’s head whipped around quickly and he frowned, “Who said I was climbing?”   
  
Lipton laughed and gestured between them, “Come on. Seriously?”   
  
The Captain regarded him for a moment before his shoulders sagged and Lipton knew he’d won him over.   
  
“ Fine.” The dark haired man conceded before stepping into the harness.    
  
Carwood rushed to help him as he fussed with the straps. He batted the other mans hands away, “Here I got it.”   
  
Ron watched him fix the equipment, “If you’re so good with this then why am I climbing exactly?”   
  
Lipton laughed, “Maybe because you’re lighter? Not that you’re not strong enough to lift me I’m sure.”   
  
The other man sighed, “Please…don’t belittle me.”   
  
Carwood smiled once more, “Maybe because I know you’ll kick ass?”   
  
Ron shrugged before walking to the foot of the cliff, “We’ll see.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**1st Pair**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Alright.” Nixon looked over the now suited up contestants- both at the bottom of the small cliff. “All the way to the top. Your time ends when you’ve get your feet on the ground. Okay…Go!”   
  
This time there was no gunshot- as Harry had conveniently requested that it be kept in one place that he knew Nixon was too chicken to put his hand-the back of Dick’s jeans.    
  
Ron and Bill immediately started up the cliff, moving at about the same pace.    
  
He was halfway up the cliff when Speirs found he was running out of places to grab with his hands. Personally he felt this was a mistake- he had no experience climbing mountains. They didn’t exactly having them in excess in the city.    
  
But Lipton seemed to think he’d do well-and he was determined not to let him down.    
  
On that note he leaned forward to grasp a rock with his left hand. However it wasn’t as secure as he’d hoped, so when he pushed off of his right foot he slipped and started to fall backwards.    
  
He didn’t really gasp-gasping wasn’t his thing. But he sucked in a mouthful of air quickly in a startled fashion. However he soon realized he had nothing to fear as he didn’t go crashing to the ground below.   
  
He looked down to see that Lipton had the rope securely in both hands.    
  
Relieved, he quickly regained his footing as Bill scaled swiftly passed him.    
  
  
  
  
Sobel grinned as he saw Bill pull ahead of Speirs about halfway up the cliff.    
  
This wasn’t hard at all. He pretty much just stood here. He doubted that Guarnere would actually fall.    
  
He wouldn’t even have to…   
  
Herbert let his thoughts come to a halt as he heard a buzzing around his head. He glanced around rapidly.    
  
What  _ was _ that?   
  
Suddenly a bee buzzed in front of his face and he jerked back quickly, “Shit!”   
  
As the bee continued to fly around his head he tried to duck and dodge it the best he could.    
  
Finally he threw his hands up to try and shoo it away but while doing so actually jerked Bill back from his climb.    
  
  
  
  
Bill felt himself being tugged backwards and looked down to see Sobel fussing with a fly or some shit.    
  
“ Hey!” he hollered down to the man, “Cut it out! I’m going to-“   
  
He was going to say ‘Fall’ but actually having it happen proved his point much better.    
  
He began to fall back as the rope was pulled by Sobel on the ground.    
  
It wouldn’t have been much of a problem if Sobel hadn’t then thrown the rope to the ground and screamed, “I’m HIGHLY allergic to bees!”   
  
As their fearless leader was being terrorized by the big bad insect-Bill was struggling to save his own hide from the mess he hadn’t gotten himself into.    
  
Scrambling wildly at the rock he managed to stop his descent and get his feet secured. He looked up to see Speirs was now at the top of the cliff. Great.   
  
He cursed and began to climb sans a belayer. If they lost this- Sobel was going down.    
  
  
  
  
Dick and Lewis watched as the Blue Captain ran about, wildly flinging his arms around his head to ward off a bee.    
  
“ Should we…help him?” Dick wondered, seeing as the man was obviously in distress.    
  
Nixon waved the suggestion off, “Nah…besides what are the chances it’ll actually-”   
  
“ AH! It STUNG ME!”   
  
“ Oh…” Lewis stared, “Someone should probably take him to Renee.”   
  
  
  
  


**2nd Pair**

  
  
  
  
  
  
Buck hung back a little as Luz suited up to climb. Finally he took a couple of steps forward.    
  
“ Have you been avoiding me?” he asked the other man curiously.    
  
Luz looked up with a frown, “Huh? No! Why would I be avoiding you?”   
  
Buck shrugged, “You seemed kinda weird the other night.”   
  
With a roll of his eyes, Luz smirked at him, “We made out. No big deal right? I was a little stressed but it had nothing to do with you. We’re cool.”   
  
Not really sure he wanted to know that Luz had been so preoccupied while they had been together Buck just nodded, “Well that’s good to know. What with your life being in my hands and all.”   
  
Luz shoved him slightly, “Whatever. If I fall you die.”   
  
Buck laughed, “You’ll just have to trust me.”   
  
“ Yeah…trust that you’ll be staring at my ass.”   
  
“ No argument here.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Babe hopped around a couple of seconds to get a feel for the equipment before turning to Skip.    
  
“ Why am I doing this?” he asked.    
  
Muck grinned, “Because I didn’t want to?”   
  
“ Right…is all this shit on right?”   
  
Skip looked it over, “Yeah I think so. Lemme tighten that strap though.”   
  
Babe beamed, “Thanks.”   
  
When they were ready he and Luz made their way to the bottom of their paths.    
  
“ Alright!” Nixon hollered, “Ready, set-”   
  
An air horn (a nice change) signaled their start and Babe hopped up to grab hold of the rock and begin his climb.    
  
Noticing that Luz was having some troubling reaching the best holds due to his slight height disadvantage Babe pushed himself harder and began to ascend quickly.    
  
He was pulling his right leg up when he got stuck. Glaring down he saw that his gym shorts had gotten caught on a rock. Frowning he jerked his knee up swiftly.    
  
This resulted in a loud tearing sound and as his leg came unstuck Babe went up and his shorts went down.    
  
When he realized he was now climbing in his boxers he cursed.    
  
“ What the Hell!? Why does this keep happening?” he shouted but kept climbing and trying to ignore the reaction of the other contestants.    
  
“ This is becoming a regular thing I see.” Malarkey noted from where the Blue team was cracking up.    
  
Nixon was howling with laughter and Talbert was tilting his head to the side, obviously staring at the young man’s ass.    
  
“ I could get used to this.” The intern said.    
  
Nixon smiled, “Now that’s just good TV.”   
  
  
  
  


**3rd Pair**

  
  
  
  
“ Hey do you mind climbing?” Grant asked Jo, who’d been expecting to be the belayer.    
  
Jo shrugged, “Sure. What- you scared of heights or something?”   
  
Grant shook his head, “Nah I’m just hung over. I figure it’d be best if I stay in one spot.”   
  
“ Chuck, man, you gotta lay off the booze.” Jo told him shaking his head, secretly disappointed that his teammate wasn’t taking their challenges more seriously.    
  
Grant just laughed, “Right, right. Time to suit up.”   
  
  
  
  
  
“ Since there’s no way I’m entrusting you with my life. You’ll be the one climbing.” Don informed his partner.    
  
Evans just nodded and looked solemnly at the cliff.    
  
Don sighed. “Now you’ve shown a fear of heights but I guess I was hoping you might have some super amazing rock climbing techniques to go with your impressive resume of other useless crap no one believes.”   
  
Evans shook his head, “Nope, sorry.”   
  
“ Oh well. Maybe the next challenge will involve ice skating.”   
  
  
As the two climbed, Evans was making slow progress. But Don figured they were doing okay since Babe had finished ahead of Luz previously.    
  
Although Toye  _ was _ going embarrassingly faster than Evans.    
  
Things seemed to be fine until about the half way mark. It was almost the exact same spot that Speirs had stumbled.    
  
Toye slipped in the same manner and started to fall. Don’s first thought was that maybe the red team should avoid that spot. However that thought was cast aside when he noticed that unlike with Speirs- nobody caught Toye.    
  
  
  
  
Jo tried to stop his falling, not bothering to wonder what the Hell Grant was doing. However his hands were only catching air and he hit the ground with a loud thud.    
  
Cursing, Jo rolled onto his back and clutched his left knee which he had landed on directly. He closed his eyes for a moment and through the haze of his pain he heard voices. Opening his eyes he saw his team gathering around him.   
  
“ Shit Jo I’m so sorry! I swear you fell so fast, it slipped right through my hands.” Grant apologized with wide eyes.   
  
“ Fuck! Chuck how fucking hard is it to hold a goddamn rope?” Luz glared, kind of surprised that he had the urge to punch his friend in the face.   
  
Lipton kneeled down next to Toye and gently touched his shoulder, “Jo are you okay?”   
  
Toye groaned, “My fucking knee man.”   
  
Just then the red team members that had gathered around Jo were being pushed out of the way by an uncharacteristically bossy blue member.    
  
“ Lemme through. Y’all give him some space.” Roe commanded as he pushed at them lightly and slid down onto his knees next to Jo.   
  
The red team looked at each other before moving back as ordered, except for Lipton who was patting Jo’s shoulder reassuringly. As well as Luz- who had to be dragged back by Buck.    
  
  
  
  
Nixon watched them all converging and stopped his stopwatch, “Damn it. Evans! Just come back down- you’re climb won’t count. Looks like Jo’s not getting back up.”   
  
Evans, who was only about five feet off the ground anyway, just nodded and slowly began to shimmy his way down.   
  
Dick shook his head.“This is not a very trustworthy group if this exercise has any merit.” He joked before going to check on Toye.   
  
  
  
  
Gene gently grazed his fingers over Jo’s scraped and badly bruised knee.   
  
“ Well you didn’t break or shatter anything.” He informed his patient, “Let’s see if you can stand up.”    
  
Motioning for Lipton to help, Roe put one of Jo’s arms over his shoulder and the two lifted him off the ground.   
  
“ Try and put some weight on it,” Roe instructed. Jo did so and looked alright for a moment before wincing.    
  
“ Hmm,” Gene eyed the knee, “I think it’s just bruised but you may have sprained it. Does it just hurt where you landed on it or does the back of your knee hurt too?”   
  
“ I dunno. It just hurts right now.” Toye answered.    
  
Gene nodded, “Well we better get you to Renee and make sure it ain’t a sprain.”   
  
They started to help him off but Luz stopped them, saying to Gene, “You haven’t finished the challenge yet.”   
  
“ Right,” the blue member replied before ducking out from under Jo’s arm and motioning for Luz to help him.    
  
However Toye put his arm down and leaned on Lipton before pulling his other arm away from him as well, “Thanks guys but I think I can manage on my own.”   
  
Luz gaped as Jo started to limp forward, “Um what?”   
  
Bill, who had come to see what the fuss was about, noticed that Jo had just put too much pressure on his bad leg and was about to take a dive. Rushing forward he caught him mid stumble.    
  
“ Don’t need any help my ass.” Bill griped and hauled Jo up, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him.    
  
“ I’m fine.” Jo shot back and Bill wondered why he was being subjected to all the stubborn Josephs in one day.    
  
“ Right. All the same, I’ll help you over there.”   
  
Luz watched them walk off and would have gone over to help if Nixon hadn’t started in with his usual bitching.    
  
“ If he isn’t dying then WHY IS NO ONE CLIMBING? LET’S GO!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**4th pair**

  
  
  
  
“ Now you sure you ain’t afraid of heights?” Alex asked Blithe once again.    
  
Blithe smiled and nodded, “I’m okay.”   
  
“ Then why do you keep looking up there?” he asked the blonde who was gazing up at the cliff and Penkala suspected that maybe his eyes were just drawn upward naturally.    
  
Blithe blinked his large blue eyes at Alex, “Because it’s pretty and I enjoy looking at it?”   
  
“ That why you’re always looking at the sky?”   
  
Albert gave him a small smile, “It rains a lot back home. I guess I just like taking it all in. You know-the sunshine and the weather.”   
  
Penkala laughed, “Why don’t you just say that then? Everyone’s been thinking you’re weird or something.”   
  
“ Oh..”   
  
Alex smiled and patted his back, “Forget it. You ready?”   
  
“ Yeah.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So you’ve got this?” David asked looking up the rocky drop.    
  
Shifty nodded and tightened his harness, “You bet. I’m a bit of a nature buff. It’ll be a breeze. Just don’t let me fall.”   
  
David nodded quickly, remembering that two belayers had already failed at their jobs, “I won’t I swear.”   
  
  
  
  
During the climb Blithe did surprisingly well, managing to avoid the little area of doom that had slipped up Toye and Speirs.    
  
Nixon looked at his stop watch and then at Dick, “You’ve got Blithe right?”   
  
Dick looked up from his stop watch as well, “No I’ve got Shifty- you’ve got Blithe.”   
  
“ Crap,” Nixon muttered shifting his attention from the brunette climber to the blonde.   
  
Despite Blithe’s success it was obvious that Shifty had rock climbing experience and once again the blue team’s climber finished first.    
  
Nixon glanced at Dick suspiciously, “Why do you always get the fast people?”   
  
Dick frowned, “You do realize that I’m timing the blues and you’re timing the reds?”   
  
“ Oh…”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**5th pair**

  
  
  
  
Gene and Joe inspected each other a moment before Gene spoke, “I think maybe you should climb.”   
  
Joe frowned, “I can support your weight you know.”   
  
Gene nodded, “Yeah no…it’s just I think you’re probably lighter so it just makes sense.”   
  
He tried to phrase it nicely as to not offend Liebgott, who he knew was sensitive about his weight. But at the same time he wasn’t sure how good Joe would be in this challenge.    
  
True to what they had all assumed was a joke earlier- Joe actually had gotten sick and thrown up after breakfast. So Gene wasn’t quite sure he wanted to chance that Joe might not have the strength to catch him.    
  
However Joe just shrugged and started to put on his equipment.    
  
  
  
  
“ Now I know logic dictates that you, being the shorty that you are, should climb. But Luz seemed to have a tough run of it and I’ve been rock climbing before. Trust me.” Christenson babbled with a smile.   
  
Perconte shrugged, “Fine. What? Are you good at everything?”   
  
Burton frowned, “I don’t know how to dance.”   
  
  
  
  
  
Christenson was good, he was quite good actually. But to everyone’s surprise- Liebgott was better.    
  
The moment he’d heard the air horn Joe had taken off like a shot, scrambling up the cliff like a madman- Christenson keeping up with him the best he could.   
  
  
  
Babe noticed that Webster was not only watching Joe climb but was also discreetly checking out his ass. He laughed, figuring this was the challenge for it.    
  
Inching over to his roommate he elbowed him in the ribs, “Nice ass huh?”   
  
Webster gaped, “I wasn’t…I don’t think so. Joe?”   
  
Babe smirked, knowing he was full of shit, “So you don’t care if I sleep with him?”   
  
“ What!?”   
  
“ I mean- we were way too drunk last night. But who knows? He’s pretty hot- it could still happen. I mean- you’re not interested right?” Babe asked trying to get a rise out of him.    
  
Webster glared at him, “Cut it out. You’ve made your point.”   
  
Babe just laughed.    
  
  
  
  
Gene frowned, having overheard most of their conversation. Looking up at Liebgott he briefly imagined letting him fall to severe injury just to make his own ego feel better.    
  
But he wasn’t planning to be a doctor so that he could hurt people, besides….it’d probably just make Babe fuss all over him, as if _ that _ was anything he needed to see.   
  
The opportunity was gone in seconds, however, as Joe pulled himself up over the top of the cliff a short ways ahead of Christenson who finished a mere 3 seconds later.    
  
Nixon looked at their respective times, impressed.   
  
“ Way to go! That was the fastest race of them all.” He called up to them.   
  
The two clapped hands at the top and Joe grinned as Christenson did a little victory dance.    
  
Talbert sighed as Christenson swayed his hips, “And you’re sure he’s straight?”   
  
“ Yes.” Dick and Nixon replied simultaneously, the latter screwing up his face at the image of Renee (who reminded him of his sister) getting it on with Christenson.   
  
At the bottom of the cliff, Frank frowned. “He can  _ so _ dance! He sucks!”   
  
“ Don’t be jealous Frank,” Luz teased.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Alright,” Nixon looked over the times, “we’ve got your compiled times here. Obviously excluding Toye and Evan’s. And as you may have guessed-the winner of this challenge is the Blue team!”   
  
The blue team cheered and exchanged high fives. The red team sighed, having been handed their second straight defeat.    
  
“ Which means,” Dick spoke, “that the Red team needs to think about who they want to vote in to tomorrows one-on-one and meet back at the bonfire in four hours. And make sure Jo’s there too.”   
  
They all nodded and began to walk back to the house.   
  
Luz glared at Chuck, already knowing who he was voting for, before heading over to the infirmary to check on Jo.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Bill crossed his arms and waited as the doctor inspected Toye’s knee. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself, not really knowing Jo that well. But the cameras hadn’t followed them- and that was nice.    
  
Plus he got to see Sobel’s puffed up face, which was just hilarious.   
  
“ Well,” Renee spoke as she stood from stooping down to see, “I believe you may have a very minor sprain. I’d recommend that you stay off of it as much as possible the remainder of the day. Rest, put some ice on it, keep it elevated and you should be able to walk on it as soon as tomorrow-although there may still be some pain. I’ll get you some painkillers now.”   
  
“ Thanks,” Jo replied in his husky voice and gave her a tight smile.    
  
As she walked away, Bill moved over to stand in her spot looking at Jo in concern.    
  
“ You alright then?” he asked.    
  
Jo nodded and grabbed his knee with both hands, pulling his leg over the side of the bench it had been splayed out upon. “Yeah. I was fine before.”   
  
Bill frowned, “Right. Well your knee looks pretty fucked up.”   
  
Jo shrugged and gave it a look, “If it ain’t broken- it’s okay in my book.”   
  
“ Well it would have been a lot worse if you’d walked over here by yourself. What were you thinking?” Bill scolded him.    
  
“ I was thinking I needed to get out of there before Luz decided he was going to smother me.” Jo told him honestly. Not that he minded Luz’s company at all, far from it in fact.    
  
“ Smother? I uh…thought you had a thing for him. Least that’s what Babe thinks anyway.” Bill said as he decided to sit next to Joe on the bench.    
  
“ Well…I guess I do. But uh…I think Buck does too and he’s my friend so... I figure it’s best to just stay out of it you know?” Jo paused then as Renee came back with a small bottle with about six pills rattling around inside of it.    
  
“ Instructions on the back,” she told him before turning to Bill, “Makes sure he takes them.”   
  
Jo rolled his eyes and Bill just nodded dumbly.    
  
He then looked over at Toye who was reading the label. He had to give it to the guy-he was pretty tough. He hadn’t complained of any pain on their way over and Bill wondered if he even understood the point of medication.    
  
Plus his handling of the Luz situation was one that actually made sense. No drama.   
  
“ Anything good?” Bill inquired peering at the bottle’s label.    
  
Jo smirked and shook the bottle, “Dunno. I’ll let you know when I pop ‘em.”   
  
Just then they heard footsteps and looked up to see Luz walking over towards them.    
  
Bill looked at Jo. “Should I leave?”   
  
Jo shook his head, “Nah man…I know you don’t have a reason to-but do me a solid and stay alright?”   
  
Bill nodded, “Yeah sure.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Later that night…**

  
  
  
  
Jo frowned as they waited for Dick and Nixon to tally up their votes. Not only did it suck that they lost but now they’d have to lose another player.    
  
Not to mention that Luz was hovering right next to him, eyes constantly dropping to his knee and talking at the speed of light.   
  
“ It really doesn’t hurt? I dunno, I mean it has to hurt a little. Do you feel okay? Maybe you should put it up on the log. I can sit on the sand it’s not a big deal. You took a pill right? Earlier? Maybe we should get you some more ice.”   
  
Jo screwed his eyes shut. Honestly he appreciated the concern…but it was a little overwhelming. Plus now Buck kept glaring at him and Jo desperately wanted to tell him he wasn’t interested in Luz.    
  
But that would be a lie. Luz was an easy person to be interested in. But Jo wasn’t going to ruin his friendship with Buck or be involved in any kind of drama over something that would only last until the end of taping anyway.    
  
Of course Luz wasn’t making himself very easy to ignore. Finally Jo snapped, “Jeez Luz- I’m fine. Calm down.”   
  
Luz frowned, “Yeah? Well you would be perfect if SOMEBODY hadn’t let you fall.”   
  
Grant glared, “I’m SORRY already.”   
  
“ Alright shut up!” Nixon growled as Dick set all their votes aside, “The two members of the Red team with the most votes who will be competing in the one-on-one tomorrow are…Toye and Grant.”   
  
Jo’s face fell…damn he’d just been in one that morning. Who the Hell was voting for him?   
  
The others were shocked as well.    
  
“ What the Hell?” Luz jumped up, “That’s…not fair.”   
  
Nixon shrugged, “Thems the rules.”   
  
Buck looked over at Luz’s distress, “But he’s injured.”   
  
Lipton nodded, “Sobel didn’t have to compete when he was sick.”   
  
Nixon sighed, “Sobel couldn’t even make it to the voting session. Besides Renee said he should be good as new tomorrow.”   
  
“ But” Luz started before Nixon cut him off.   
  
“ Why are you all so desperate to get him out of this? If it isn’t him it’s just another one of you. Besides…the votes are final. See you at noon tomorrow.”The host then nodded to them and walked away from the voting table.    
  
Luz watched him go before sitting next to Jo. “This is bullshit.”   
  
Buck watched Luz stew in his anger as Jo just shrugged at his fate. He supposed that voting for Jo made him a bad guy. But then again…this  _ was _ a competition. In more ways than one.   
  
**A/N:** Forgot to mention that I took the challenge 'Push Me' from MTV's The Duel...which I totally watched...but wasn't exactly a  _ fan  _ of...anywho...

 


	8. Saving Me

**Disclaimer:** I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!   
  
  
  
  
“ So why are you here?”   
  
Speirs just stared blankly at Harry for a moment.    
  
“ I had nothing better to do.” He finally muttered.    
  
Harry nodded, “Right but…I was hoping you might have some story. Like what you might do with the money?”   
  
Speirs continued to stare.   
  
Harry sighed. He was gathering what he felt were the more interesting contestants and trying to compile their backgrounds.    
  
It wasn’t going well.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So what are your plans if you win the money?”   
  
Babe blinked rapidly, “Oh you know….I need to go somewhere. I uh….it’s kinda like…well you see I…uh…”   
  
Harry gave Nixon a desperate look.    
  
The host just shrugged.    
  
  
  
  
  
“ So why do you need to win this money?” Nixon asked the frowning man in front of him.    
  
Liebgott shrugged, “I owe some people.”   
  
Harry straightened from his slumped position-Joe’s answer having caught his attention.    
  
Finally they were getting somewhere!   
  
“ Really?” he asked, “Why?”   
  
Joe glared, “None of your fucking business.”   
  
Well then….   
  
  
  
  
  
The host and the producer sat silently in the empty room…trying to figure out how to proceed with their interviews.    
  
“ You know what the problem is.” Nixon stated.    
  
Harry looked over at him in distress, “Do I?”   
  
Nixon nodded, “Yep. They don’t trust us.”   
  
“ Well duh.”   
  
Lewis stood quickly, “But we know someone very trustworthy don’t we? Someone who ANYONE would feel safe confiding in.”   
  
Harry, knowing exactly where he was going with his line of thought, stood up with a huge grin. “That’s right! We do!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dick frowned, “I don’t think so.”   
  
“ Oh come on!” Nixon whined, trying his best not to stamp his feet like a petulant    
child. “They like you better than me.”   
  
“ I wonder why?” Renee mused from where she was sitting next to Dick and eating dinner.    
  
Nixon glared, “Shut it. At least I don’t go around tonguing the contestants!”   
  
Renee smiled and scooted closer to Dick, “Yes but we all know why, no?”   
  
As she said this she laid her head sweetly on the red-head’s shoulder. Dick just smiled, oblivious.    
  
“ I will kill you,” Nixon hissed at her.    
  
“ Lewis!” Dick reprimanded him.    
  
“ Dick! PLEASE!!! They won’t talk to us! I’m not asking you to be sneaky. Just conduct the interviews!”   
  
Finally Dick sighed, “Fine.”   
  
Nixon rushed forward, as if to give him a quick hug, but thought better of it, “Um…awesome! Thank you! Bye.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So Eugene- are you originally from New Orleans?”   
  
The young man shook his head, “Oh no but I have family down there.”   
  
Dick nodded and tried to ignore the camera that was probably making Gene uncomfortable, “So how did you wind up there?”   
  
“ Um I’m attending medical school there.”   
  
“ Oh so is that what you’re hoping to use the money for? Med school?” he asked, knowing already that this was not the case.    
  
Gene paused, “Um maybe some of it. You said the prize money got larger?”   
  
“ Yep. Because of you Eugene.”   
  
Gene shook his head in obvious confusion, “I don’t understand.”   
  
“ We know about your work with the clinic.”   
  
Gene looked down with his lips pressed, “I told her that in confidence.”   
  
Dick gave him a sympathetic smile, “This isn’t the best place to keep secrets I’m afraid. Renee means well. She thought your story might help bring in more money….maybe give you a forum to shed light on your situation?”   
  
“ I don’t want to use that as something to garner sympathy.”   
  
“ It’s not like that,” Dick told him, knowing that it was a lie. “So why don’t you tell me about it?”   
  
Gene sighed, “It’s just… I help run this free clinic. We treat a lot of families affected by Katrina- people with little money, people with no insurance. People with nowhere to go anymore…we give them volunteer work. Something to do…but we just get more people every day and…”   
  
Dick felt for the young man, “And the money just isn’t coming in?”   
  
Gene nodded, “But if we can’t afford to keep running….”   
  
“ I understand.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So you told Harry that you owe people money?”   
  
Liebgott gave him a bored look, “Yep.”   
  
Dick tried to think of the best way to open up the conversation from that point. Asking him what the money was for right out would only get him the same reaction that Harry had received.    
  
“ Half a million dollars is a lot of money…” He trailed off hoping that Joe might pick up on something.   
  
“ Well I owe a lot of money,” Joe said and sunk down in his seat.    
  
Dick nodded, that was something he could work with. “How much is a lot exactly?”   
  
“ $100,000.”   
  
Dick coughed, “Wow...that’s…a lot. Who did you borrow from? Family?”   
  
Joe laughed, “Nah…just some fucking assholes I met at work.”   
  
Giving Joe a small smile Dick said, “Let’s try to keep the profanity to a minimum in these interviews okay?”   
  
Joe shrugged, “Just some jerks I met at work.”   
  
“ Now what is it you do?”   
  
“ I work at a bar.”   
  
“ So you’re a bartender?”    
  
“ No.”   
  
Dick frowned, “Okay. Is that your whole reason for coming on the show? To get the money to pay back…some…jerks?”   
  
“ Nah…I needed to get the Hell outta town you know?”   
  
Now Dick was getting concerned, “Why?”   
  
Joe made an annoyed face, “I don’t know? Why would I wanna get away from assholes that I owe a hundred thousand dollars? I pissed off the wrong people. Look can I go now?”   
  
Dick nodded, “Um…sure. But we’ll probably bring you back in later okay?”   
  
“ Whatever.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Wait-so you ran away from home?” Dick asked the young man.   
  
Babe nodded, “When I was younger. I kinda bounced around different relative’s places. Then I stayed with my Aunt for awhile when I finished high school.”   
  
“ So where are you living now?”   
  
Babe looked around, “Uh here?”   
  
“ I meant back in the states. And why did you run away exactly?” Dick clarified his questions.   
  
Babe shook his head, “Um…I couldn’t. Hey-can I go?”   
  
Dick could tell that Babe was developing the crazy looks of one being backed into a corner, so he took mercy on him, “Yeah Babe you can go.”   
  
“ Thanks,” the young man sighed in relief and took off quickly.   
____________   
  
  
  
  
  
Harry listened to Dick relay what he had learned from some of the contestants.    
  
“ Gene’s obviously really troubled by everything he’s dealing with, and Babe is definitely hiding something. I’m positive he’s younger than he’s letting on. But he wouldn’t tell me why he ran away from home…I hope he wasn’t abused. Plus he was very vague about what he might need the money for.” Dick explained.   
  
Harry nodded, “We’re looking over the tapes now. Hopefully something will come up. So far he’s been telling everyone he’s 19. What about Liebgott?”   
  
“ He’s the one that concerns me the most.” Dick frowned, “I think he could be in some serious trouble. What could he be so afraid of that he had to leave town? And what the heck did he need a hundred grand for?”   
  
Harry shrugged and began to text furiously on his cell, “Well we’re going to try and find out. Tell the contestants we have a phone set up in a room so that they can call people now. You did good Dick. Maybe you should be a counselor or some shit.”   
  
With that uncomforting information, Harry clapped Dick on the shoulder and walked away.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Now that Jo was set up in his room, he was pretty comfortable. His leg was propped up; his pain meds had kicked in. And he, Buck and Luz were playing cards. Of course…it was really obvious that Luz was rigging the deck so Jo would win.    
  
“ Would you look at that?” Jo raised an eyebrow as he looked at his cards, “I won again. Guess I’m on a hot streak huh Buck?”   
  
Buck grinned and rolled his eyes at the man’s sarcasm, “That’s what it is.”   
  
Luz blushed and stood up with an empty bottle of beer, “I need a refill. You guys want anything?”   
  
Jo shuffled the deck, “Beer?”   
  
“ You got it. Buck?”   
  
Buck shook his head, “I’m good.”    
  
“ Cool. I’ll be right back.”   
  
They watched him go as Jo dealt the cards between them.    
  
Jo looked down for a minute before saying, “I know you got a thing for him and you need to know that I’m not gonna get in the way of that. Okay?”   
  
Buck looked over at him in surprise, “I never thought you were.”   
  
Jo laughed, “Don’t bullshit me man. But I want us to be cool. And I want you to know that I mean what I say. Alright?”   
  
Buck smiled, “Yeah. Yeah okay.”   
  
There was a sudden knock on the doorframe. The two looked up to see Speirs standing there.    
  
They exchanged confused glances.    
  
Speirs studied them for a moment, “Buck can I have a word?”   
  
“ Um sure.” Buck stood and went out into the hallway.    
  
Jo sighed and snuck a look at Buck’s cards. Huh...now that Luz was gone he was losing. He smirked and leaned his head back against the wall.    
  
“ Booored…” he dragged the word out, hoping that one of them would return soon.    
  
“ Talking to yourself already? You ain’t been laid up  _ that _ long.”    
  
He knew that sarcastic Philly accent.    
  
Jo grinned and raised his arm up in greeting, “Yo Guarnrere. Get your ass in here. Keep me company.”   
  
“ Bossy much?”   
  
Bill walked in all the way and plopped down across from Jo on his bed. He surveyed the cards, “You need anything?”   
  
“ Got a smoke?”   
  
Bill smirked and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, “You bet.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ What’s up?” Buck asked as Speirs led him outside into the night and away from the drinking and laughing group next to the pool.    
  
“ I know you’re the one voting for Toye. And I know why you’re doing it too.” Speirs informed him coolly as he pulled out a cigarette.   
  
Buck was surprised, but kept it from showing, “So? You won’t tell him. It’ll just drive a wedge in our team.”   
  
Speirs smirked, “You’re right. I also think that- despite his injury- he’s going to win tomorrow.”   
  
Buck nodded, “Good. I hope so.”   
  
“ Now  _ that’s _ a bit surprising.”   
  
“ I’m starting to think that maybe I was making a big deal out of nothing. With him and Luz. He’s being really cool about it.”   
  
Ron shook his head, “He can play it as cool as he wants. Just because he tells you something- it doesn’t stop Luz from liking him.”   
  
Buck frowned, knowing he was right, “Why are you telling me this?”   
  
“ Because I have an idea. I want you to think on this. Get a feel for how loyal you want to be    
to Toye, and then come back and talk to me after tomorrow’s challenge.”   
  
The blonde raised an eyebrow, “What if Toye doesn’t win?”   
  
Speirs looked over at Grant for a moment, “He’ll win.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Babe grabbed a soda from the kitchen’s overstocked fridge, forgoing the alcohol after the previous night’s incident. Heading towards the living room he saw Gene wave him over.    
  
Babe smiled at the dark haired man and indicated that he’d be just a second. Spinning on his heel he took a detour outside and headed towards the pool.    
  
Coming up behind Shifty and Webster who were discussing something he probably had no interest in; he clapped Webster on the shoulder.    
  
Webster jumped slightly and then glared at him, “Yes Babe?”   
  
“ Can I borrow you two for just a second?”   
  
Shifty shrugged, “Sure.”   
  
He led them away from the pool and back towards the house, but not before snagging Grant by the back of his shirt, “You too.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nixon made his way over to Renee’s office, needing to brief her on her part in setting up tomorrow’s challenge.    
  
Knocking lightly on her door he pushed it open, “Hey Renee I just wanted to tell you that after the one-on- OH MY GOD!”   
  
Upon his loud and disgusted exclamation, Christenson quickly pulled his hand out from underneath Renee’s shirt and stood quickly.   
  
“ Well I feel much better now doctor-thank you.” He rushed out past Nixon and didn’t look back.    
  
Renee glared at Nixon, “What is your problem?”   
  
He gaped at her, “What is YOUR problem!?”   
  
The woman rolled her eyes, “You just want everyone to be as miserable as you are.”   
  
“ Hey! I’m not miserable! Look I just wanted to let you know that part of tomorrow’s challenge requires you to separate Christenson from his team. Think you can do that without ramming your tongue down his throat?”   
  
She gave him an unimpressed look, “I don’t know. Think you can make it a whole day without making an ass out of yourself in front of Dick?”   
  
He gasped, “You whore!”   
  
“ Loser.”   
  
“ Bitch.”   
  
“ You’re just jealous.”   
  
Nixon threw his hands in the air, “ARGH!”   
  
Renee stood and ushered him out of her office, “Off to your empty bed.”   
  
“ Now that’s just cold.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Grant, Shifty and David just stared as Babe slammed the bathroom door shut and turned on all the sinks and the shower.    
  
“ What are you doing exactly?” Grant asked looking as confused as David felt.   
  
“ I don’t want them to hear us outside.” Babe pointed at the closed door.   
  
“ Why’d you bring us here?” David decided to ask him flat out.   
  
Babe clapped his hands together, “Right. Well this might seem kind of dumb to you guys but just indulge my paranoia.”   
  
“ Oookay.” Shifty drawled-looking amused as always, God bless him.   
  
“ Yeah,” Babe continued, “I just want to make sure that ALL of you are going to stick with me when I say I’m 19. I know I’m not, you know I’m not-but just roll with it. 19! Not 18! We cool?”   
  
They all nodded dumbly.    
  
Finally David said, “You just want to sleep with Gene.”   
  
Babe flipped him off over his shoulder as he went to turn off the shower.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
As he was leaving the bathroom David collided directly with someone in the hallway, and judging by the bony feel of the shoulder that stabbed him he figured it was Joe.    
  
He braced himself for a tongue lashing that never came. He cautiously looked over to see Joe smiling at him.    
  
Joe…smiling.    
  
He looked so nice and...happy?   
  
“ Are you okay?” David asked the other man-in spite of himself.    
  
Joe nodded, “Yeah…yeah I feel great.”   
  
“ Really?”   
  
With another smile Joe looked behind him towards the stairs, “Yeah. As a matter of fact- I’m going to go for a swim. Wanna join me?”   
  
David eyed him warily, as if he suspected it was all a ruse, “Sure.”   
  
Joe rolled his shoulders and then grabbed the front of David’s shirt, “We need to get you a beer- man Web I would LOVE to see you drunk.”   
  
David laughed and let himself be drug down the hall, not caring why Joe was so happy and choosing to simply enjoy it.    
  
  
  
  


**The Next Morning in the Arena**

  
  
  
  
Babe looked over at Joe nervously. The other man was hunched over with his head on his knees, shaking slightly.    
  
“ Are you okay?”David finally asked out of concern, seated on Joe’s other side.    
  
When Joe didn’t tell him to fuck off, he figured something was wrong.    
  
“ How can you be hung over? You didn’t drink anything.” Babe added.    
  
Suddenly Dick was next to them in the bleachers. He crouched down next to Babe and gave Joe a concerned look.    
  
“ He doesn’t look so good.” The judge noted, “Why don’t you take him to see Renee?”   
  
“ I’ll take him,” David began to volunteer but Babe had already stood and put his hand on Joe’s shoulder.   
  
“ He’s got it,” Dick assured him and went back down to talk to their host-who was watching as Christenson snuck off with Renee.    
  
  
  
  
Skip plopped down next to Don and copied his slouched position with a grin, “Easy money.”   
  
“ What’s that?”   
  
“ Oh Luz- betting on who’s going to win.”   
  
“ Who’d you bet for?” The red head asked smiling as Muck jokingly copied his movements as well.    
  
“ Grant- with Toye’s leg fucked up it should be pretty simple.”   
  
“ Bet that made Luz real happy.”    
  
“ What do you mean?”   
  
“ Skip- you observe nothing- Luz has it bad for Toye. B-A-D.”   
  
“ No way! I saw him macking on Buck last night!”   
  
Don shook his head, “Truly clueless.”   
  
Suddenly Sobel poked them both on the shoulder with an annoyed expression, “If you ladies are done gossiping…Don-someone’s trying to get your attention.”   
  
Malarkey frowned and looked up to see Talbert waving his arms at him. He looked confused as the intern rushed over to him with a clipboard in his hands.   
  
“ Hey can I borrow you for a sec?” Floyd asked bouncing on his toes and looking a little nervous.   
  
“ That depends,” Don gave him a suspicious look, “are you going to molest me?”   
  
Talbert was silent for a moment, “No?”   
  
“ Works for me,” Don slapped his hands on his knees and stood. He looked at Skip, “Be right back.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz was only half listening as Nixon called Grant and Jo down and continued with his “blah-blah this team lost” crap.    
  
Jo had really nice arms….   
  
And a nice ass…   
  
And a cute smile….   
  
“ Are you okay?”   
  
He was snapped out of his thoughts by Perconte who was staring at him strangely.    
  
“ I’m fine. Why?”   
  
“ Cause you look kind of spaced out and you were starting to drool a little.”   
  
He quickly put a hand to his mouth, “Seriously?”   
  
“ Yeah and there’s only room for one space cadet on this team and Blithe’s already got dibs,” Penkala joked.    
  
“ Hey,” Blithe protested softly, then stopped and looked around, “Wait….where’s Christenson?”   
  
They all shrugged and turned their attention back to the arena.   
  
  
  
  
Jo figured that by looking over the set up in the arena he could accurately guess what the challenge would be.    
  
This time there was a circle created with rocks amidst the arena and a small pole in the center of the encircled dirt that had a rope running through it. Harnesses were attached to both ends.    
  
He had a feeling he could figure this out.    
  
“ This challenge is not so creatively called Tug of War. In it each contestant will wear a harness that is attached to one end of this rope which is run through this central pole. The object of the game is to reach the outside of the circle.” Nixon explained.    
  
“ Obviously the hard part will come in the fact that you will each be pulling against one another. “ Dick added.    
  
“ Get suited up,” The host told them, “and remember the loser of this challenge is eliminated from the competition and must leave the island.”   
  
“ Yeah yeah,” Jo muttered and stepped into his harness.   
  
“ No need to be snippy,” the host shot back.    
  
Grant tripped as he stepped into his harness. Jo frowned and walked over to help him out.    
  
“ You okay man?” He asked his competitor-giving him a strange look.    
  
The other man nodded absently, “Yeah…yeah I just feel kind of funny.”   
  
Jo nodded back, “Okay. Good luck.”   
  
“ Yeah. You too.”   
  
“ Alright,” Nixon cut in, “get ready.”   
  
The two moved to opposite sides and Toye chose to crouch down. Hopefully he would be able to employ the same tactic that he’d used against Cobb during Push Me. Which was to hold fast, and let Grant wear himself out.   
  
“ Here we go!” Dick shouted- apparently they were taking a wise break from letting Nixon start them off, “At the signal.”   
  
The air horn sounded and Grant bolted forward immediately only to fall face first in the dirt as he realized his opponent wasn’t budging.   
  
Toye gritted his teeth and dug his fingers into the ground as he felt himself slide slightly backwards. Just had to hold fast…   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Buck watched Luz watch their two team members. He slid over to him and nudged him lightly in the ribs with his elbow.    
  
“ You seem pretty calm,” he noted, “Especially considering how pissed off you were about it last night.”   
  
Luz leaned back with a smirk, “That’s because Jo’s going to win.”   
  
Buck frowned, “Everyone keeps saying that. How can you be so sure?”   
  
The smaller man scooted even closer to Buck until they were pressed together and then he leaned in close, “Keep a secret for me?”   
  
Buck nodded, “Of course.”   
  
Luz leaned up to whisper in his ear, “I  _ might _ have slipped Grant something.”   
  
Buck’s mouth dropped open, “ _ What? _ ”   
  
“ Just some meds to make him drowsy-nothing serious. Just to make sure Jo won.”   
  
Buck stared at Luz as the other man watched Grant struggling to reach the outside of the circle with a smug look on his face.    
  
He caught him staring, “What?”   
  
Buck grinned, “Nothing. I’m just impressed with your deviousness. It’s kinda sexy.”   
  
Luz brushed his shoulder off, “You know it baby.”   
  
Buck just laughed, not as pleased as he appeared that Luz had gone through such lengths to insure Toye’s victory.    
  
He looked over to see Speirs raise an eyebrow at him and Buck could see the ‘I told you so’ that was hidden in his expression.    
  
He sighed and turned back to the competition where sure enough- Grant seemed uncoordinated and weak- falling to his knees repeatedly and only slightly dragging Toye backwards.    
  
Jo looked behind him as Grant fell for a fifth time, breathing heavily and struggling to move forward.    
  
That’s when Toye got up from his crouched position and bolted for the border of the circle.    
  
He made it about halfway before Grant, who was now being drug towards the pole, managed to get to his feet and struggled to pull Toye back.    
  
Jo didn’t stop however and Grant was once again tripping to the ground. He scrambled to get his fingers dug into the dirt and stop Toye from reaching his destination.    
  
At the sound of the bullhorn, however, he ceased his struggle. Toye was now lying on his back outside of the circle and breathing heavily.    
  
Luz looked over at Buck with a cheeky grin, “What’d I tell ya?”   
  
Then he hopped up and rushed down the bleachers.    
  
  
  
  
  
Skip stared at the arena in despair, “How did he WIN? Don-do you realize how much money I    
just lost?”   
  
When he didn’t get an answer he looked over to where Don  _ should _ have rejoined him at some point, only to realize he wasn’t there.   
  
“ Don?”   
  
What the Hell?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
As everyone gathered around the two of them, both to congratulate him and to say goodbye to Grant, Toye winced and doubled over-a hand going to his injured knee.    
  
“ Shit,” he grimaced and glared at it. How the fuck did he just win exactly?   
  
Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and four pairs of concerned eyes looking down at him.    
  
He stared up at them, knowing he was caught, “Um…it’s okay?”   
  
Luz made ‘pssh’ noises and waved his assurance off. Lipton shook his head and Bill actually got down on the ground to inspect his knee.   
  
Finally Dick said, “Even so-Lipton why don’t you take Jo to Renee and get it looked at? Then the two of you can meet up with us in a little while.”   
  
Bill and Luz exchanged confused looks, both knowing it’d make more sense for either one of them to take him to Renee. They stayed quiet as Lipton helped Toye leave the arena.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile Grant was saying his final words into the camera.    
  
“ Yeah it sucks but I guess I kind of deserved it. I mean I let my partying get the best of me and it really screwed me over in the last challenge.”   
  
“ Is there anything you want to say to anybody?” Harry asked him from behind the camera man.   
  
Grant nodded, “Yeah. Frank you’re the man- and Jo you never got pissed at me even when I deserved it. You’re a machine dude and you deserve to win. Good luck.”   
  
Harry nodded, figuring that was it. But then Grant lifted a finger quickly, as if remembering    
something.    
  
“ Oh and just so you know- Babe’s only 17.”   
  
Harry pumped his fists into the air, “I KNEW it!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ All right everyone- into the cars! It’s time for your next challenge!” Nixon called to them all- shooing them away from Grant and on towards the awaiting vehicles.    
  
“ Shouldn’t we wait for the others?” David asked noticing that a few people were missing.    
  
“ Oh they’ll be there.” Nixon promised, “Now load up- all of you!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**In the Infirmary**

  
  
“ Soooo,” Harry drawled, “how do you guys feel about being damsels in distress?”   
  
Babe made a funny face, most of them sighed, and Joe glared.    
  
“ Not favorable,” Liebgott answered him.    
  
“ That’s too bad.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Challenge**

  
  
  
  
Nixon stood with Dick in front of three paths that led off to three different parts of the island.    
  
He caught Dick eyeing the pathways. “What?” he asked his friend.    
  
The red head pursed his lips, “I forget which leads where.”   
  
Nixon smiled deviously, “You’ll soon find out. Speak of the devil…”   
  
They looked over to see the contestants approaching.    
  
“ All right,” Nixon spoke first, “you may have noticed that some of your fellow contestants are missing.”   
  
He waited for the grumbles or dumb comments but received none. Nixon frowned as he thought that he might actually  _ miss _ Grant’s consistent interruptions.   
  
“ They are however…part of this challenge,” The host continued, “Because behind us there are three different paths. Each trail will lead you to one of your missing team members-all of whom have been placed in potentially dangerous situations and require  _ you _ to set them free by completing a challenge.”   
  
“ Now there is no rule as to who you go to rescue or in what order. But you only have 40 minutes to rescue as many of your teammates as possible. By the end of the challenge- whoever successfully rescues the most team members wins. Or, in the case that you are tied, whichever team completed the overall challenge the quickest wins.” Dick explained to them.    
  
Nixon nodded, “The path to your left will lead you to Christenson and Babe. The path down the middle will lead you to Lipton and Malarkey. And the path to your right will lead you to Liebgott and Toye. Your time starts now.”   
  
  
  
  
  


**The Blue Team**

  
  
  
  
Sobel knew from the moment that the challenge was explained that this would happen. He sighed and watched his team continue to squabble.   
  
“ You guys can go wherever the Hell you want.  _ I’m _ going after Don.” Skip stated.   
  
“ Yeah well I say we go for Joe.” David added.    
  
Sobel wanted to tell them that since none of them were the strongest player it didn’t really matter WHO they went for.    
  
“ Look we don’t know what the challenges  _ are _ ,” Shifty tried to reason, “What if they require a lot of people?”   
  
“ Like what?” Bill asked.    
  
Skip shook his head, “We’re wasting time. I say we split up. That way we can hopefully get them all released quicker.”   
  
“ I don’t know,” Evans tentatively gave his input, “what if Shifty is right?”   
  
Skip rolled his eyes, “Forget this. I’m going for Don. Anyone coming?”   
  
Shifty nodded and the two of them went down the appropriate path.    
  
David sighed and took off towards Joe’s trail, figuring that he might be the only one going down that way. He looked back in surprise as he heard footsteps following him.   
  
Sobel shrugged at him, Evans on his heels, “I figured the other two would go for Babe. I thought you might want some help.”   
  
David was shocked, but grateful, “Thanks.”   
  
Sobel tried to give him a sincere smile. He knew two things- one being that out of their three options Liebgott WAS the strongest competitor. And two? That he was also Sobel’s least favorite person in the entire competition (not that he actually had a  _ favorite _ \- although he supposed that Evans was growing on him…like a fungus) and he couldn’t wait to send the little shit packing.    
  
But the fact was that he needed allies at this point. Maybe even if they were only temporary. If they lost this challenge he might be able to get Webster to vote with him by reminding him that he was the only one who went to bat for Liebgott.    
  
Hopefully it would work.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Team**

  
  
  
  
“ Alright,” Speirs spoke up before any of them had the chance, “I’m not going to let this deteriorate into a squabble about who wants to do what. I know Luz wants to go after Toye, I know I want to go after Lipton…but that doesn’t matter. We’re going to take a vote on it. Understood?”   
  
They all nodded, none of them really wanting to argue with their Captain.    
  
“ Good.” Ron nodded, “Now- how many for Toye?”   
  
Luz and Buck both raised their hands.    
  
“ For Christenson?”   
  
Penkala, Blithe and Perconte all raised their hands.    
  
Speirs nodded, “And me for Lipton. It’s settled then- Christenson first, then Toye, then Lipton.”   
  
Luz sighed, aggravated, “Fine.”   
  
“ Let’s go then.”   
  
  
  
  
  


**The Damsels (at least that’s what Harry’s calling them)**

  
  
  
  
Babe looked down at the ocean he was suspended far above. He sighed and sat on the bottom of his cage thingy. He looked over at Christenson, who seemed to be inspecting the bottom of the metal cage- which they both knew was able to open up.    
  
“ How far down to you think the fall is?” Babe hollered over to him as they were separated by quite some distance.    
  
He saw Burton shrug.    
  
“ I dunno!” Christenson hollered back, “But Harry said that Floyd survived it just fine!”   
  
Babe thought back on the horny intern. “By whose estimation is that guy ‘just fine’?” he muttered to himself.   
  
Sighing he adjusted the life vest he was wearing, knowing that for now it was just a waiting game.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Toye tapped his fingers on his leg as he looked around at the clear, plastic box he was encased inside. He felt kind of chilly- but he figured that was probably because the box was underwater.   
  
He took a moment to be glad he wasn’t claustrophobic and briefly wandered if Liebgott was.    
  
Since they were in two different tanks, he supposed he wouldn’t know anytime soon.    
  
He looked up through the top of the water and saw the sun shining. Now all he had to do was wait.    
  
They had said he had enough oxygen for four hours at least and that the challenge only last 40 minutes. So, considering how his knee still hurt, not to mention the fact that he’d just worn himself out against Grant, he figured this wasn’t a bad way to spend a challenge.    
  
Nope…not bad at all.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So let me get this straight.” Don said to Lipton, very aware of how his voice was shaking. “If they don’t complete the challenge correctly- I’m going to wind up sliding all the way down this slope, really fast I might add, on my ass?”   
  
Lipton realized that it sounded pretty awful when you put it like that, but there were two cleared off paths for them to slide down before they would fall into the river at the bottom of the hill. The worst that could happen was that they scratched up their legs a bit.    
  
“ You’re wearing a helmet and a safety vest.” He offered to the blue contestant.    
  
Don laughed nervously and continued looking over the edge of the small black platform he was standing on.    
  
Lipton didn’t bother to worry, he had faith in Ron.   
  
And you know…the rest of his team too.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Bill and Gene let out a sigh as they FINALLY reached the end of their path, only to see that the entirety of the red team was already there and working on freeing Christenson from where he was- whoa…   
  
They looked out to see that there was a long cable cord set up to reach from their cliff overlooking the ocean- to another far away from them.    
  
On the sturdy cable was a metal cage with a rickety looking bottom suspended above a  _ very _ long drop into the sea and a miserable looking Babe sitting inside. He brightened up when he saw them and gave them a little wave.    
  
Bill gave the kid a thumbs up as they rushed forward to the edge of the cliff where, in between the distance separating the two cages, there was a sign explaining what they had to do to free their teammate.    
  
Bill peered at the sign:   
  
_ As you can see- your teammate is currently suspended in a cage over the ocean. In order to get him to safety- your team must go to a large pole, to which the cable holding the cage up is attached. At the top of the pole you will find a wheel with handles on either side.   
  
Your team must turn the wheel- which will slowly move the cage, and your teammate, towards the cliff and to safety. Once your teammate is safe you can hit the red button on the side of the pole and they will be released from their cage.  
  
However you only have 6 minutes from the moment you start to complete this challenge. If you don’t- when your time is up- the bottom of your team member’s cage will fall open and they’ll fall into the water.  
  
It’s a 100 foot fall. _   
  
  
  
  
Bill and Gene exchanged concerned glances and then shot uneasy smiles over to Babe.    
  
Gene turned around quickly, slightly out of breath from running down their trail, “Where is    
it?”   
  
Bill spotted the pole and pointed to it, “There.”   
  
They rushed over and both frowned when they realized that it was too tall and the wheel too high for either of them to reach.    
  
“ Shit,” Bill cursed and looked over to see that the red team was giving one another boosts in order to reach the wheel.    
  
“ We need more people,” Gene noted with a frustrated sigh.    
  
Bill nodded, “Yeah.”   
  
He looked over at the two trails off to the side that would lead them from this challenge to another. They each had a sign stating which trail would take them to whom.    
  
“ Look,” Bill said, “I’ll go to Liebgott and you go to Don. That way whoever finishes first can bring them back here.”   
  
Gene nodded, “Got it.”   
  
As Bill took off towards Liebgott’s path Gene turned back towards Babe and shouted, “We’ll be right back!”   
  
Babe just nodded and Gene took off toward Malarkey’s trail.    
  
  
  
  


**The Red Team**

  
  
  
Buck was giving Luz a boost, Penkala was giving Blithe a boost, Speirs was standing between Buck and Alex to make sure no one fell and Perconte was yelling at them the status of Christenson’s cage.    
  
“ He’s about half way here!” Frank hollered back to them.    
  
Luz cursed as he and Blithe continued to turn the wheel with both hands. He was trying not to push too hard so he wouldn’t fall off balance and out of Buck’s grip.   
  
This was harder than it looked.    
  
“ How much time do we have?” Blithe asked Speirs through his teeth as he continued to turn the wheel with the handle on his side.    
  
“ About 2 minutes.” Speirs told him as he looked at the stopwatch that had been provided at the site of the challenge.    
  
“ If I fall I’m going to kill someone!” Christenson threatened from his cage.    
  
“ Granted you don’t die from said fall.” Frank pointed out unhelpfully.    
  
“ Shut it Frank.” Luz called over his shoulder.    
  
Finally, after what seemed like forever- the wheel stopped. They looked behind them to see that the cage was now above dry land at the edge of the cliff.    
  
Christenson grabbed the metal bars and gave them a nod. Blithe hit the red button, the bottom of the cage dropped out and he hopped down onto the ground.    
  
He grinned and dusted off his life vest, “Nice one guys. Who’s next?”   
____   
  
  
  
  
  
_ Your team member is currently at the bottom of the tank with your team color adorning it. He is encased in a large plastic box with enough air for four hours. However you only have 7 minutes to complete the challenge.   
  
In order to free your teammate you will have to dive into the tank. At the bottom of the tank there are several different keys. You must find the right key to fit into the key hole at the top of the tank.   
  
The key hole will be next to the controls that operate the box in which your teammate is encased. Getting the proper key will result in having your teammate lifted out of the water.   
  
However for every wrong key you use, a hole will open on the side of your teammate’s box, allowing water inside.   
  
The water CAN fill the box up before the 7 minutes is through. _   
  
  
  
“ Alright,” David spoke stripping off his tee shirt and his shoes, “I guess if we all go in at the same time, the better the odds are we’ll get the right key.”   
  
Evans nodding and took off his shirt/shoes as well. “It looks like there’s plenty of room in the tank for three.”   
  
Sobel shrugged and mirrored their actions. He walked over to the side of the tank where a ladder led them to the top.    
  
“ After you.” He looked at David and motioned to the ladder.    
  
David nodded, scaled the ladder and dove headfirst into the water. As he swum down to the bottom he saw Liebgott sitting in a clear box at the bottom-looking bored as usual.    
  
Looking over the tank floor he began to spot the keys. He heard a noise above him and looked up to see that Sobel had entered the water.   
  
He grabbed two keys at once and swam back to the surface. Turning the first key, he waited. But nothing happened.    
  
Suddenly Sobel surfaced next to him.    
  
“ That one didn’t work.” The captain informed him, “The water’s starting to go into the box.”   
  
David frowned and tossed that key out of the tank. He began turning the second one. Again nothing happened.    
  
“ Crap,” He muttered and went back under the water.    
  
Swimming back down to the bottom he looked into the box to see that the water was at Joe’s ankles and that Joe was giving him an ugly look.    
  
“ Nice job!” Liebgott shouted through the glass, giving him a sarcastic smile and a thumbs up.    
  
If David could have sighed, he would have, instead he just collected three more keys. As he went up he noticed that Evans was now in the water and Sobel was swimming back down.    
  
So those keys hadn’t worked.    
  
Once he got back up he tried the three keys. None worked.    
  
David took a deep gulp of air and went back under, passing Evans on the way down. He noticed that the water was now up to Joe’s chest. Shit.   
  
But suddenly as he was collecting another key- he heard a loud noise and the box began to move up through the water.    
  
Evans had found the right key.   
  
Relieved- David began his swim up to the surface.    
  
When he reached the top he took a moment to catch his breath before he looked out over the side of the tank to see Joe already sitting on the ground-completely soaked in water.    
  
“ Sorry.” He apologized to the other man.    
  
Joe looked up at him with a curious expression, “No it’s fine. It’s…great. Thanks.”   
  
Then with a smirk he stood up and offered David his hand. David took it with a smile and slowly climbed out of the tank.    
  
Joe pulled off his shirt and rung the water out as the others put their shoes back on. “So what now?” he asked them.    
  
Just then they heard footsteps and looked over to see Bill jogging towards them. When he reached them he looked at the set up of the challenge in confusion and back at Joe.    
  
“ You alright?” He asked with a grimace- the sun in his eyes.    
  
Liebgott gave him a nod, “Yeah.”   
  
“ You wanna help me with Babe?”   
  
“ You bet.”   
  
“ Great. Let’s go.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Skip sighed as he continued to walk.    
  
“ Shit. Are all the trails this long?” he wondered out loud to Shifty.    
  
“ Nope,” answered a slightly panting voice coming from behind them.    
  
They turned to see Gene running to catch up to them.    
  
“ How’d you get here so quickly?” Shifty asked.    
  
Gene shrugged, “There was a connecting path from Babe. I guess it was just shorter.”   
  
“ You guys get him?” Skip asked him.    
  
Roe shook his head, “No we needed more people. Figured we’d split up- help out and then go back with you guys.”   
  
Shifty was sweet enough not to say ‘I told you so’.    
  
Finally they began to reach the end of their trail and broke out into a run.    
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Team**

  
  
  
  
They came up on the second challenge just in time to cross paths with half of the blue team running in the opposite direction.    
  
Penkala noticed that Skip wasn’t with them and wondered if he’d reached Don yet. He also noted that most of them were soaking wet. Awesome.    
  
As they approached he noticed the two tanks of water and they all gathered around to read their instructions.    
  
“ You wanna sit this one out?” Speirs asked Perconte, remembering that he couldn’t really swim.    
  
Frank shrugged, “Don’t have much of a choice do I?”   
  
Christenson clapped him on the shoulder as he took his life vest off, “Don’t sweat it man. If we all got in that tank- we’d be bumping heads anyway.”   
  
That said he chucked the vest, his shoes and his shirt and quickly ascended the ladder- Luz hot on his heels.    
  
Speirs nodded, “He’s got a point. Penkala you sit this one out too.”   
  
Alex frowned and was about to ask why but Blithe, Buck and their Captain were already gone.    
  
  
  
  
  
Underneath the surface of the water Christenson was scooping up keys like crazy.    
  
Luz swam over to the box where Toye was seated- his head back against the wall and his eyes closed. He tapped on the glass and Jo looked up at him.    
  
Luz gave him a thumbs up and Jo just smiled. Just then the water began to pour in. One of the keys had apparently not worked.    
  
Swimming around at the bottom Luz noticed that there were only two keys left- his other teammates had gotten almost all of them. So he grabbed them both and swam to the top.    
  
“ That’s all of them.” He said when he reached the surface.    
  
Christenson nodded and hopped out of the tank, no more keys left to try.   
  
A noise came as Blithe turned his key and Luz swam closer to the side of the tank and watched as the box began to lift out of the water.    
  
Buck slung an arm over his shoulder, “See what a little team work does?”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Alright be careful.” David warned as Joe stepped into his cupped hands.    
  
Liebgott looked down at him as Webster boosted him up to the wheel at the top of the    
pole. “What the Hell are you talking about? It’s like a ten foot drop- big whoop.”   
  
David frowned, “Yeah but- weren’t you sick this morning? I thought you might not being feeling well.”   
  
“ Nah- I’m fine.”   
  
“ Well then what was wrong with you?”   
  
“ Don’t worry about it.” Joe dismissed the question.    
  
“ But-”   
  
“ Hey! Could you two maybe talk less and turn more?” Sobel asked from where he was holding Evans up.   
  
They fell silent and Joe and Evans continued to turn the wheel furiously- their arms quickly growing tired.   
  
“ He’s almost all the way!” Bill shouted over to them, “You only got a minute left!”   
  
Suddenly the wheel stopped abruptly.    
  
“ He’s good!’ Bill shouted.   
  
Joe hit the red button and they all cringed as Babe fell to the ground hard, not having been prepared.    
  
David let his hands fall and put them on Joe’s waist as the other man dropped down. He left them there for a moment as they watched Bill help Babe up.    
  
Then Joe gave David an amused look.    
  
“ What?” Webster asked.    
  
“ Hands,” was the only reply he received.    
  
Webster looked down with a blush to see that his hands were still resting comfortably on Joe’s hips.    
  
“ Sorry.” He muttered and pulled them away.   
  
“ Sure.” Joe said with a smirk.    
  
“ I  _ am _ !” He protested- now thoroughly embarrassed.    
  
Sobel rolled his eyes, “Who cares? We need to get moving.”   
  
They all nodded and took off towards Don’s path.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
_ Your team member is currently standing on a small platform extended roughly ten feet away from the edge of a very high and very steep hill.   
  
In order to bring him to safety you will have to build a bridge to extend to him so that he can cross from his platform and back to solid ground.   
  
In front of each stranded contestant there is a box with connectable platforms. They are easy to put together but it is up to you to decide how long it should be. There is no way to measure and you can only extend ONE bridge. If the bridge is not the right length when you extend it- you will have no chance to add onto it.   
  
You only have 5 minutes to complete this challenge. If your teammate is not safely across by then- the platform will fall away and your team member will slide down the 40 foot slope on his back before landing in the river at the bottom. _   
  
  
  
They had already been building their bridge for awhile now. Skip wasn’t sure if it was long enough yet. Shifty figured it was but really- what harm could it do to keep adding to it?   
  
“ Wait- no…this interlocks onto this pole.” Gene corrected Muck.    
  
Skip nodded and then looked over to Don who was trying  _ very _ hard not to look down. “How much time do we have left?” he asked Shifty, who was holding the stopwatch that had been provided.   
  
“ One minute.” He informed them.    
  
“ Shit.” Skip began to add one more platform as quickly as he could. Don had already shown that he was afraid of heights during their second team challenge. He had to be terrified.    
  
Shifty rushed them, “Y’all don’t have time for that- you have to put it out there  _ now _ .”   
  
Skip stood while he and Gene grabbed their bridge and rushed to the edge of the hill and towards Don.    
  
Just as they were reaching the edge there was loud thud, a sharp gasp and Don wasn’t there anymore.    
  
Skip dropped the bridge and rushed to look over the edge, knots of worry tying themselves in his stomach.    
  
He didn’t see Don. Shit- he must be sliding really fast.   
  
“ Crap,” he muttered. Hmmm how to get through this without having Don be too pissed that he couldn’t save him?   
  
“ That’s not good.” Shifty noted with a frown.    
  
Skip stood overlooking the edge with his hands on his hips. Gene approached cautiously.    
  
“ Hey,” He said standing next to Muck, “He’s totally fine. He’s probably going for a swim    
right now.”   
  
Skip nodded and then turned to Gene with a smile, “You know what? I think I’ll join him.”   
  
“ Wait- what?” Gene asked but received no answer as Skip rushed forward, jumped over the ledge and slid onto the path that Don had just taken.    
  
Shifty came over to stand next to Gene. “What just happened?” he asked.   
  
Gene shrugged, “Oh…you know. He just did something very…Skip-like.”   
  
“ Right.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Don had just surfaced from the river where he had landed, still shook up from the adrenaline.    
  
Sliding down the slope of that hill had been like going down one of those crazy water slides at an amusement park.    
  
Only it was kinda muddy. Sure it had scared the shit out of him at first. But it wasn’t so bad. Skip probably would have enjoyed something like that more than he ever could.    
  
Geez he hoped Skip wasn’t beating himself up over this.   
  
All of a sudden he heard a shout.    
  
“ WOO-HOO!”   
  
Then Skip came sliding off the edge of the hill that broke off about three feet above the water.    
  
Limbs flailing through the air his friend came crashing next to him with a splash.   
  
Don laughed out loud as water hit him.    
  
Skip resurfaced with a grin.   
  
“ Did you have fun?” Don asked with a smile as Skip pushed the wet hair out of his eyes.    
  
Skip continued to beam at him, “This island’s freaking awesome. I’m SO doing that again.”   
  
  
  
  
  
The remainder of the blue team and the red team arrived at the place of the final challenge almost simultaneously.    
  
They stopped abruptly, all of them trying to avoid smacking into each other.    
  
Bill stopped in front of Jo. “Got a little wet I see.”   
  
Toye eyed him with a smirk, “Stayed a little dry I noticed.”   
  
“ Yeah well I got to the swim party a little late.”   
  
Jo looked over to the site of the challenge, “Looks like you got to this one a little too late too.”   
  
“ Huh?” Bill looked over his shoulder in confusion to see that Lipton was all alone, his platform the only one above the hill.    
  
Jo gave him a shrug, “Don’t worry about it.”   
  
Then he rushed over to join his team.    
  
Babe walked over to Gene. “Hey.”   
  
Gene looked up at him and smiled. “Hey…you look like you…”   
  
“ Didn’t fall into the ocean from 100 feet?”   
  
“ That’s exactly what I was going to say.”   
  
Babe laughed, “You’re going to be a doctor right? Can you really make that fall?”   
  
Gene nodded, “Sure. But it’s all about how you hit the water. You could easily break something, split your skin or bruise. At least from what I know. That’s why I was….uh….worried…about you.”   
  
Babe smiled, “I’m okay.”   
  
“ Yeah…you are.”   
  
Babe looked down at where Gene had been staring over the edge of the hill. “So what happened?”   
  
Gene sighed, “Don slid down this hill and landed in the river when we didn’t complete the challenge in time.”   
  
“ And Skip?”   
  
“ He thought it sounded fun.”   
  
Liebgott came up behind them, “Shit. That does sound like fun.”   
  
Babe grinned at him, “I’m doing it.”   
  
“ Me too.”   
  
“ Wait-” Gene again wasn’t allowed to finish as the two of them took off.    
  
Webster rushed over to him and stared down the hill in astonishment. “Did they just-”   
  
“ Yep.” Gene answered.    
  
The two exchanged looks.    
  
“ Want to?” Webster asked.    
  
Gene shrugged, “Why not?”   
  
  
  
  
“ Wait so as long as we do this right- then we win?” Alex asked once more for clarification.    
  
“ Very good Penk.” Luz teased as they read over the instructions.    
  
Buck frowned as he and Speirs looked the sign over. “It doesn’t tell us much does it?”   
  
Speirs shook his head before turning back to his team. “Okay Blithe I want you to keep time.    
When we have exactly one minute and thirty seconds left- you tell us. No matter what- when Blithe says that time we stop putting the bridge together and we set it out there. He has to have enough time to get over here. Otherwise- let’s try to make it as long as possible.”   
  
They all nodded and got to work.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
At the bottom of the hill Shifty, Roe, Webster, Joe, Babe, Don and Skip were all swimming around in the river.    
  
“ So- think we lost?” Babe asked.    
  
Skip shrugged and splashed some water at him, “Well if they can’t complete the challenge correctly we would have lost this challenge FIRST and therefore- have won.”   
  
Joe made a face. “That makes almost no sense.”   
  
Gene looked at the second path coming from the hill, “We’ll have to wait and see.”   
  
“ Hey guys?” Babe got their attention again.    
  
They all looked over.    
  
“ What?” Webster asked.    
  
“ You don’t think there are like- snakes or anything that bites in this water do you?”   
  
Shifty shook his head, “Oh I don’t think so. Webster?”   
  
“ Of course not,” David shook his head as well.   
  
Babe sighed and looked away.    
  
David caught Shifty’s eyes and made a face. “Snakes.” He mouthed to him and made a wavy hand gesture.   
  
Shifty frowned and looked down at the water with a grimace.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Minute and thirty seconds!” Blithe yelled out to his team who were quickly assembling what now looked to be a very long bridge.    
  
“ That’s it.” Speirs cut them off with a wave and stood. They all lifted the bridge together and brought it closer to the edge.   
  
Sitting one end on the ground they pushed the other into the air and aimed it towards Lipton’s platform.    
  
“ Just try to grab it.” Jo shouted to the stranded man, who nodded.    
  
It was certainly long enough. They all held onto their end and lowered the bridge onto the platform like a draw bridge.    
  
Lipton checked to make sure it was secure.    
  
“ Come on, come on!” Speirs waved him over.    
  
Lipton crossed the bridge wearily at first, but once he realized it wasn’t going to crap out on him, he rushed over.    
  
He sighed when his feet hit the ground.    
  
Blithe hit the stop watch and looked at them all with big eyes, “Forty seconds left to spare.”   
  
They all cheered.    
  
Lipton smiled at their excitement, “Never had a doubt.”   
  
“ Dude- were you freaked out?” Christenson asked, “Because I SO was. I was like HANGING a hundred feet over the ocean.”   
  
Perconte rolled his eyes, “It’s not a competition.”   
  
“ Actually it is.” Luz joked.    
  
Lipton shook his head, “Nah…it wasn’t really scary. Actually- it looks like the blue team enjoyed it.”   
  
They all looked over to see there were only three blue members still standing there.    
  
“ Where’s your team?” Speirs asked Sobel with a small smile.    
  
Sobel rolled his eyes, “Swimming around in a river like a bunch of children.”   
  
He looked next to him where Evans was looking between him and the hill excitedly and bouncing    
up and down.    
  
Sobel sighed, “Oh just go.”   
  
“ Thanks.” The blond man grinned and rushed to slide down the hill.    
  
Bill caught Jo’s eyes and jerked his head after Evans. Jo got the message.    
  
“ Oh Hell yeah.” He grinned and jogged over, jokingly shoving Bill to the side and sliding down the hill first.    
  
Luz frowned as he watched them.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nixon looked over the gathered contestants.    
  
“ Sobel...you’re missing…well- everyone.”   
  
The blue Captain rolled his eyes, “Yep.”   
  
“ Right…well since your team failed to rescue Don you are the losers of this challenge. Have your team assembled on the beach in four hours to cast your votes.”   
  
Sobel sighed. Great…now his head would be on the chopping block. He knew there was no way Liebgott and Bill WOULDN”T vote for him over the others.   
  
He would just have to manipulate the votes somehow…   
  
He grinned as an idea popped into his head.    
  
He knew just the thing. This shouldn’t be too difficult at all.    
  
If there was one thing that this challenge had proven- it was that some people on his team would do anything to protect the people they were coming to care about.    
  
No…this shouldn’t be too hard at all.    
  
  


 


	9. Look Out Below

**Disclaimer:**  I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas   
or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!

  
  


  
  


  
  


Gene frowned up at the man who was speaking to him for maybe the first time, “I don’t get what you’re saying.”   
  
Sobel rolled his eyes- wasn’t this guy training to be a doctor? “Look…it doesn’t take a genius to see that you and Babe have…potential. All I’m saying…is that if you help me out…I can make sure he stays safe from elimination.”   
  
Gene really, really didn’t like where he was going with this. It was underhanded, it was sneaky, and most of all…it was completely effective.    
  
Sobel had saddled up next to him the moment that the blue captain had reunited with his soaked team. He had immediately campaigned for Gene’s help to keep him out of the arena.    
  
Even though he didn’t like it…Sobel’s argument was compelling. The only challenge that had been lost had been the one with Don…and he along with Skip and Shifty were responsible for that loss. Logic would dictate that one of the three of them deserved to go.    
  
Sobel’s argument was that Gene should vote for one of them in order to take the heat off of himself should the vote be divided in between the three of them. When he asked the Captain why he shouldn’t just vote for Sobel- the man had not so subtly pointed out that his vote counted twice and if by some chance Babe were to wind up in the arena..there was a strong possibility that the younger man might not make it out.    
  
Gene sighed, “Fine. Now could you please leave me alone?”   
  
Sobel smiled, “No problem.”   
  
One down, four to go.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Why…would I vote for Shifty exactly?” Babe asked from where he was swatting a mosquito away from his face.    
  
Sobel shrugged, “Well I could think of a few reasons. For one…if anyone is going to go into the arena…it’ll be Shifty, Skip or Gene. We both know that Muck did everything he could to save Don. I mean- at least he tried his best. And you like Gene too much to ever vote for him. That only leaves Shifty.”   
  
Babe was silent for a minute. Sobel had a point…although he hated to admit it. But Shifty was so freaking nice…and he was his friend. But then again…was it really so smart to have friends in a competition?    
  
Besides…Shifty was one of only two people left who knew his secret…well…about his age. If he was gone there would be less of a chance that he would tell.    
  
But…he hadn’t told anyone yet anyway. And he’d promised he wouldn’t. He’d keep his promise…wouldn’t he?    
  
So what if Babe voted for him? It was just one vote! Like it would actually count for anything.   
  
  
  
  
  
David glanced up from his notebook, giving Sobel an incredulous look. “Whether I help you or not…you’ll never be able to sway Bill or Joe to vote with you.”   
  
“ I’m not trying to sway them…I’m trying to sway you.” Sobel responded. He figured Webster would be his easiest sale. The man seemed to have no real attachment to anyone other than Liebgott…for whatever reason THAT was.   
  
Furthermore the man was dictated by logic. He knew who was stronger and who was weaker. Who to keep and who deserved to go. Of course if that didn’t work…he could always threaten to send Joe in.    
  
“ Well at least you’re honest.” Webster observed, looking thoughtful. “But you’re right…I owe you for helping me during the challenge. But don’t think that means this will ever happen    
again. We’re even now.”   
  
Sobel grinned, “Absolutely.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ But that’s bullshit! Skip did everything he could! That isn’t fair!” Don looked horrified at what Sobel was suggesting.    
  
The captain was just pleased that he had been able to get the guy alone. He shrugged at the red head, “That may be true…but most people probably won’t look at it like that. I mean…he did help lose the challenge for us.”   
  
“ But what about Gene and Shifty?” Malarkey pointed out.    
  
Sobel shrugged, “Sure they were both there but we all know Babe’s not going to vote for either of them. And you know how Bill is…all the kid has to do is unleash the sad eyes and that guy will vote however he wants him to. Joe follows Bill, Webster follows Joe…do you see where I’m going with this?”   
  
“ What should I do?”   
  
“ Take the pressure off of Skip. If the two of you vote for one of the others then the vote will be split. I’ll see if I can’t persuade someone else to vote with you guys.”   
  
“ What about you?” Malarkey looked at him suspiciously.    
  
Sobel held up a reassuring hand, “Oh trust me…getting rid of Skip is the least of my concerns. Think about what I said.”   
  
Don was already searching Skip out, “Yeah definitely. How much time do we have before we have    
to vote?”   
  
“ About half an hour I’d say.”   
  
The two nodded at each other and parted ways. He had timed his little discussions so there wouldn’t be enough time for any of the contestants he’d spoken with to be persuaded by anyone else.    
  
Suddenly Evans was at his side.    
  
“ How’d it go?” the blond man asked.    
  
Sobel smiled at him, “Way too easy.”   
  
“ And who are we voting for again?”   
  
“ That’s the best part.”   
  
  
  
  
  


**On The Beach**

  
  
  
  
Nixon jumped up to peek over Dick’s shoulder.    
  
Dick turned around to give him the closest thing he had to a glare. “Would you stop that? I thought we agreed that I would count the votes from now on?”   
  
“ We did.” Nixon nodded.    
  
“ By myself…”   
  
“ Right…”   
  
“ So stop looking over my shoulder. It’s distracting.” Dick told him.    
  
Nixon glared at his friend. Oh what? Like HE wasn’t distracting Lewis? Because he was! Ever since he met the man! But did Nixon ever complain? No.   
  
“ But-” he began to protest.    
  
Dick clenched his hands in frustration. “Do you want to do this?”   
  
Nixon pouted. “No.”   
  
Dick nodded and pointed to a spot five feet off, “Good. Now go stand over there.”   
  
Lewis sighed and walked away from the podium. The gathered contestants and the crew snickered at him.    
  
He glared at them, “SHUT IT!”   
  
Skip made a whipping motion, “It’s painful to see man.”   
  
Dick ignored the comments with his usual grace as he counted up the votes. “Okay…I’m done. You can come back now.”   
  
Lewis sighed, “Why thank you.”   
  
He slinked back over to the podium and looked at the results. His eyebrows went    
up, “Interesting.”    
  
The contestants all leaned forward slightly- this was the first vote to really count to many of them.    
  
“ The two people who will be competing in the arena tomorrow will be Shifty..and Liebgott.”   
  
Everyone on the crew gaped. Lewis nodded, “I know-right?”   
  
The contestants stood up, Bill and Joe both looked pissed that Sobel had again kept himself safe.    
  
David stood up quickly and walked over to Sobel, “Why do I have a feeling I just helped you    
screw over Joe?”   
  
Sobel frowned at him, “I don’t know? We never really talked about Joe…did we?”   
  
Webster watched him go, uncertainty and unease coloring his emotions. He ran after Joe, who was walking with Bill, their heads bent and whispering angrily.    
  
They quieted when he approached. He glared at them, “Oh please- I didn’t vote for you.”   
  
Joe glared, “Well you didn’t vote for Sobel either did you?”   
  
“ Hey in case you don’t remember- he actually helped you in today’s challenge.” David pointed    
out.    
  
“ Yeah well who the Hell do you think voted for him?” Bill asked with a frown.    
  
“ We don’t know that Sobel did.”   
  
Liebgott laughed, “Man you don’t get it do you? All that piece of shit cares about is keeping himself safe. Seriously Webster.”   
  
He watched Joe stroll away with Bill and immediately felt like kicking himself. Why did he let himself play right into Sobel’s hands?   
  
And why oh why did he have to be attracted to someone so damn difficult?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Wait so what you’re saying to me is that you actually placed BETS on whether or not I would be eliminated?” Toye asked looking down at Luz.    
  
Luz shrugged and took a sip of beer, “Yeah basically. But I made a shitload betting against Grant. I say we split it.”   
  
Toye nodded, “Oh I see. So you think I’m okay with this? Is that what you think?”   
  
Luz paused, “Um…yeah?”   
  
Jo eyed the pool next to them, “You don’t have the money on you now-do you?”   
  
“ No. Why is that-“   
  
Luz didn’t get much more out before he went flying into the pool. He dropped his beer into the water and coughed as he resurfaced.    
  
He stared up at Jo who was laughing at him.    
  
“ What the Hell was that for?” Luz demanded being instantly reminded of the shower incident.    
Although that did give him an idea…    
  
Jo took a breath between his laughter, “Oh man…That’s for betting on me you prick!”   
  
“ Oh yeah?” Luz reached out and grabbed Jo’s leg, pulling it out from under him. Jo slipped forward and landed next to Luz with a splash.   
  
Jo glared and shoved at him, “Dude you just ruined my watch.”   
  
Luz laughed, “With the money I made off of you? I’ll buy you a new watch. A  _ nicer _ watch.”   
  
Jo looked at his wrist, “What’s wrong with my watch?”   
  
A new voice came up, “I got a better question-why can’t you stay dry?”   
  
Jo looked over and swam to the opposite edge of the pool where Bill was standing. He folded his arms on the side and looked up at him, “So how’d it go?”   
  
Bill shrugged, “Joe and Shifty.”   
  
Jo gaped, “No shit? I like Shifty. How’d Sobel squirrel his way out of this one?”   
  
Bill chucked off his shoes and put his feet into the pool, “The Hell if I know.”   
  
He bent down next to Jo’s head and scooped something out of the water, “Whose beer is this?”   
  
Luz swam over to them and snatched the beer from him, “That’s mine.”   
  
He made a show of drinking from it. Jo raised an eyebrow at him, “Isn’t that mostly pool water by now?”   
  
It was-but Luz wouldn’t admit it in front of them. He just made a face.   
  
“ It tastes good.” He promised before swimming off.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ What…you want to form an alliance?” Buck asked his captain.    
  
Speirs shrugged, “Sure…if that’s what you want to call it.”   
  
“ So? What? You just want us to keep voting Jo in?”    
  
“ Look,” Ron leaned forward, “the best way to make sure our team does well is to get rid of    
the weakest players.”   
  
“ And you think that’s Jo?” Buck gave the man a disbelieving look.    
  
“ No…quite the opposite. Jo’s one of our strongest and if we keep putting him into the arena…   
he’s going to keep winning.”   
  
“ Okay,” Buck interrupted, “I don’t see where you’re going with this.”   
  
“ Right…did you see what I did earlier with Penkala?” Speirs asked.    
  
Buck nodded, “You sat him out of the second challenge.”   
  
“ Right…because I think he’s one of our weaker players. Now…I’m not going to tell anyone who to vote for. But I can make the circumstances suggestive.”   
  
“ How do you mean?” Buck asked.    
  
“ Well,” Ron sighed, “if we had lost that challenge then Penkala or Perconte-two of our weaker players- would be the only ones who hadn’t helped and therefore it would make sense to vote for one of them. They go in and we vote for Toye who gets rid of them in the arena.”   
  
“ Huh.”   
  
“ That’s why I’m going to keep voting for him. We both know why you do it. We have a deal or what?”   
  
“ Makes sense…sure.”   
  
“ Glad to hear it.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Next Morning**

  
  
  
  
  
Babe was bouncing up and down in place and Gene was a little worried.    
  
“ Babe are you alright?”   
  
The younger man shook his head, “No! I mean I can’t believe this is happening! Either way someone I like is going to go home. Look if I tell you something will you promise not to hate    
me?”   
  
Gene smiled at the earnest look of worry on his face, “Babe…I really can’t imagine hating you.”   
  
“ I voted for Shifty.”   
  
Gene frowned. Why would Babe vote for Shifty? That didn’t seem like him at all. Gene figured that Bill would get him to vote for Sobel.   
  
“ You’re frowning.” Babe noted.   
  
“ Oh…don’t worry. I’m not mad..just confused.” Gene reassured him.    
  
Babe spotted Shifty outside drinking orange juice. “I’m going to go wish him luck. Let me know if you see Joe.”   
  
Gene nodded and watched him go…wondering what had possessed him to vote for Shifty. At least Gene knew why  _ he _ had done it.   
  
  
  
  
  
Joe heard knocking coming from his bedroom door and was surprised to find that he wasn’t sure  _ who _ it was. Apparently Babe and Bill considered themselves his friends…and who the    
Hell knew why Webster was always seeking him out.    
  
Whoever it was they had terrible timing. Joe had taken his black box and locked himself into the bathroom away from the cameras and other contestants. He barely had a moment alone anymore.    
  
He looked down at his outstretched arm and tightened the rubber cord wrapped around it.    
  
Putting the syringe to his lips he pulled the cap off with his teeth.    
  
The pounding on his door continued as he searched for a familiar vein to inject himself.    
  
“ Just a goddamn minute!” he hollered to them- whoever they were.   
  
Slipping the needle into his arm he unloaded the drug into his system and leaned his head back against the bathroom wall- letting the high wash over him.    
  
  
  
  
  
David was just about to give up on Joe when the door finally swung open. Joe grinned out at him-looking happy and hazy like he had the night before yesterday.    
  
David frowned at him, “Are you ready? We have to head to the arena.”   
  
Joe nodded, walked into the hall and slung an arm around Webster’s shoulders. “Sure Web…walk with me.”   
  
David raised an eyebrow, “You’re awfully friendly. I thought you didn’t like me?”   
  
Joe shrugged, “Yeah…but I don’t like anyone.”   
  
Webster smiled at that. “You like Babe.” He pointed out.    
  
“ Yeah…but like that’s difficult.”   
  
Suddenly David had stopped walking and Joe’s arm fell off his shoulders. Joe turned around to give him a confused look.    
  
“ What?”   
  
“ Can we be serious for a second?” David asked.    
  
Joe rolled his eyes, “About  _ what _ exactly?”   
  
“ Just noticing that’s a nice band aid on your arm is all. Are you ever going to tell me what    
you’re sick with?”   
  
Joe shook his head and approached the other man, both of them ignoring the cameras hovering close by.    
  
Joe’s head was swimming and he was still buzzing from the drugs he had just taken. He noticed Webster was the perfect height for him and couldn’t help himself. He placed a hand on the side of David’s neck and leaned forward to press their lips together.    
  
David was frozen in place-but Joe could tell he didn’t mind when in response he parted his lips slightly to deepen the kiss.    
  
God Joe was high as a kite and the feel of Webster’s tongue was only making him dizzier, making the tingling on his arms intensify.    
  
He slid a hand up into Webster’s ridiculously neat hair. Behind his closed eyes he began to see random dots and his neck was starting to feel too hot. It was the drugs, he assured himself….it was just the drugs.   
  
Joe smiled into Webster’s mouth for a second before pulling away and taking a deep breath.   
  
He looked at Webster, whose eyes were lightly closed, lips still parted and wet and he smirked. So maybe  _ this _ was why Web was always hanging around.    
  
David slowly blinked his eyes back open, as if he’d only just realized that Joe’s lips were gone. Liebgott patted him on the cheek in a condescending manner. “You worry too much.”   
  
Webster breathed heavily and watched him saunter off…more worried than ever.   
  
  
  
  
  


**In The Arena**

  
  
  
  
Laid out across a table there were two vests. One with small orange flags stuck all over it and the other with small yellow flags stuck on it. There was also a yellow box on one side of the arena and an orange one on the other side.    
  
Floyd looked over the set up excitedly, “This is the one where they wrestle right?”   
  
Dick smiled slightly, “That’s right.”   
  
“ Who’s competing today?”   
  
Nixon frowned at him, “Seriously? You suck at your job.”   
  
“ Lewis!”   
  
“ What? He’s supposed to know that already!”   
  
“ It’s Liebgott and Shifty.” Dick told him.    
  
Floyd’s eyes glazed over at the possibility of watching them roll around on top of each other. “Liebgott? Is it my birthday or something?”   
  
Lewis rolled his eyes, “Like we care about your birthday. And also? What is this obsession with Liebgott that people seem to have? Even the people that hate him are a little preoccupied with him.”   
  
Dick shrugged, “Most guys just like a challenge.”   
  
Nixon leaned against the table next to him, “Yeah? What about you?”   
  
“ Is that your way of asking him if he likes a challenge or if he like dudes?” Talbert    
wondered out loud.    
  
Lewis swung around and smacked him upside the head. The intern cursed and clutched his ear.    
  
Dick frowned at the now commonplace abuse, “I’m not really like most guys I guess. I’d rather be friends with someone I date than chase after someone who doesn’t like me at all.”   
  
Nixon knew it was foolish to allow it but he couldn’t help the little bit of hope that rose in his chest at those words. He watched Dick walk over to Harry-with a smile on his face.    
  
“ That’s good news, right?” Talbert asked from behind him.    
  
Nixon turned to glare at the intern-his smile now gone, “Does everybody fucking know?”   
  
“ Um...yeah? I think so…you’re pretty obvious.”   
  
“ Shut up.”   
  
“ Hey look about this wrestling thing...I say we have them wrestle  _ in _ something like- jello!”   
  
“ SHUT up.”   
  
“ No wait wait-a margarita pool. That would be sweet!”   
  
The host groaned, “Please stop talking.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Alright in today’s one-on-one challenge, each contestant will be outfitted with a series of flags across their body via these vests. The object of the challenge will be for each contestant to remove as many flags as possible from his opponent’s vest and place them into their designated box. Which is an equal distance away from the center of the arena.”   
  
Joe leaned towards Shifty as Nixon explained the rules to them and everyone else. “You know    
what sucks?” he whispered.    
  
Shifty shook his head, “What’s that?”   
  
“ You’re competing with me and I’m one of the only people who didn’t vote for you.”   
  
“ I  _ am _ a bit surprised that I’m here.” His opponent confessed.    
  
“ Fucking Sobel man.” Joe hissed, “He manipulated the vote to keep himself out of here.”   
  
“ Why are you telling me this?” Shifty asked.    
  
“ Because if I lose I want you to get rid of that prick that’s why.”   
  
Their host interrupted them, “You only have a minute to get as many flags as possible. Suit up.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz watched the two men get ready. “YO- 10 bucks Shifty smokes him! Any takers?”   
  
Most waved him off.    
  
“ I’ll take that bet.” Jo called over to him.    
  
Luz smirked, “Oh so you don’t care if we bet on other people just not you?”   
  
He shrugged, “That sounds about right.”   
  
“ Well then I will thoroughly enjoy your money sweetheart.”   
  
Toye rolled his eyes, “Don’t call me that. Besides…I kinda like the underdog. Certainly paid off for you last time.”   
  
“ That it did my dear.”   
  
“ You keep that shit up I’m going to have to beat you death.”   
  
“ Whatever you say cupcake.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The two men faced one another in the arena and when Nixon sounded the air horn, Joe    
immediately lunged himself at Shifty- tackling him to the ground.    
  
Babe hid his eyes behind his hands. He couldn’t watch! He didn’t want either of them to go but he knew he’d feel guilty forever if Shifty went home. Plus when the show aired Shifty would find out that Babe had voted for him and totally hate him!   
  
This sucked.    
  
He leaned over to Bill, “Who’s winning?”   
  
“ I think Shifty is.” Bill said, not sounding too happy about it.    
  
Babe peeked out to see.    
  
Shifty indeed seem to have more flags in his hand than Joe did. Babe noted that Shifty’s flags were bright yellow and Joe’s a bright orange.    
  
However when Shifty tried to go and put the flags in his box, Joe tackled him before he reached it. As they rolled around on the ground Babe saw that Joe was not only grabbing more flags from where they were stuck with velcro to Shifty’s vest but was also prying some of his own flags out of Shifty’s hands.   
  
After Nixon warned them they only had fifteen seconds left, the two jumped up and ran to their respective boxes, stuffing the flags they had gathered from the other inside.    
  
The air horn sounded, signaling that the challenge was over.    
  
  
  
  
They all waited as Dick and Nixon gathered up the two boxes.    
  
“ Wait- who won?” Skip asked.    
  
The host glared, “We have to COUNT the flags genius.”   
  
“ Oh right..just used to knowing already.”   
  
Shifty and Liebgott bumped fists as they stood next to one another, breathing heavily.    
  
“ You know,” Shifty looked at Joe seriously, “if I lose I want you to do the same thing.”   
  
Joe nodded, “Gladly.”   
  
“ Alright,” Nixon spoke up, “we counted up the flags and Shifty managed to get a total of ten flags from Liebgott’s vest.”   
  
“ While Joe managed to get THIRTEEN flags from Shifty’s.” Dick informed them.    
  
There was a stream of chatter over on the red bleachers and they all just assumed it was a bet at this point.    
  
Luz handed a smug Jo ten bucks.    
  
“ Thanks  _ sweetie _ .” Jo grinned at him.    
  
  
  
“ I’m sorry Shifty that means your time here on the island is over.” Nixon informed him.    
  
Dick patted him on the back, “Go say goodbye to your team.”   
  
Shifty nodded and shook hands with Joe again, “Guess it’s on you to take care of him now.”   
  
Joe sighed, “Guess it is. You know? I wish it hadn’t been you man. I don’t really..uh…say this to like..anyone…but you’re a good guy.”   
  
Shifty smiled, “Thanks.”   
  
They walked over to the solemn blue team.    
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Challenge**

  
  
  
  
  
As the contestants got out of the vehicle, many of them recognized the cliff they were at as the one from yesterday’s challenge in which both Christenson and Babe had been hanging above the long drop into the ocean.    
  
Now instead of a cable across from the two cliffs, there was a blocky bridge that looked easy enough to cross. There were random steps up and random steps to the side that had to be made, although all the obstacles of the bridge were hard to see from where they were standing.    
There was a second similar bridge a small distance away from it. Obviously there was one for each team.   
  
When Dick, Nixon and Talbert began to come at them with blind folds, they realized what they’d have to do.   
  
“ Ah fuck me.” Christenson complained as Talbert began to blindfold him. Hadn’t he already survived this damn thing?   
  
“ That’s right!” Nixon piped up from where had had just blindfolded Webster and was now moving on to Luz. “Everyone will be blindfolded except for your team Captains who we are escorting to the other side of the bridge as we speak. “   
  
“ Your team Captains will try to guide you over this bridge by talking to you. So you have to trust them. However once you are over the bridge, you will take your blindfold off and in turn help guide the next person across. Whoever gets the most people successfully across wins this challenge. However much like the rock climbing trust challenge, if you all make it across successfully, then we will base the win on whichever team goes fastest.” Dick explained.    
  
“ So don’t dilly dally. Also…don’t fall…that’s a long ass drop.” Nixon added with a laugh.    
  
“ Yeah no shit,” Liebgott complained.    
  
“ Why do we have to do this here?” Babe asked warily, not looking forward to possibly making this fall after being rescued last time.   
  
“ Because we reviewed the tapes and you all seem most scared by this challenge so we thought- what the Hell let’s increase that fear from 2 people to 18.” Nixon informed them. “Unfortunately to do this we had to cut out the pig testicle eating challenge.”   
  
“ Woo-hoo!” Perconte cheered.    
  
“ For now.” Lewis warned ominously, “Alright let’s line you guys up.”   
  
“ Hey!” Christenson protested as he was walked into his team’s line, “Who just grabbed my ass?”   
  
Dick and Nixon glared at Floyd, who just shrugged, “That opportunity will never present itself again.”   
  
“ I’m telling Renee.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**First Crossing**

  
  
  
  
“ I CANNOT believe you guys are making me do this first.” Liebgott bitched as he was led to the first step of the bridge, “You realize he’ll just let me fall on purpose don’t you?”   
  
Suddenly Sobel’s voice hit him though a megaphone, “Please Liebgott- I may not like you- but I’m not going to throw a challenge just to kill you…yet.”    
  
  
  
  
  
“ Alright Perconte- you’re doing fine.” Speirs tried to speak as clearly as he could through the provided megaphone. “Now take a small step to your right…a small one…don’t overstep it.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ NO! There’s NOT a step there!” Sobel shouted.    
  
Liebgott stamped his foot angrily, “Well then just SAY THAT instead of telling me to just take ‘A really big step’! Fucking asshole!”   
  
“ Idiot!”   
  
  
  
  
  
“ Okay just two more small steps and you’re in the clear.” Ron promised to Frank, who listened to his instructions and made it to solid ground.    
  
He ripped the blindfold off with a grin, “That was a fucking breeze. Too bad you can’t guide everyone.”   
  
Speirs shrugged, “Your turn next.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Liebgott stumbled off the bridge and fell right on top of Sobel who shoved him away him angrily. Joe, still blindfolded, kicked out and struck him in the knee, sending him to the ground.    
  
Joe stood, took off the blindfold and glared at him. Sobel glared back, “I got you across didn’t I?”   
  
“ Hardly. I’m just letting you know right now..I got your number you prick.”   
  
“ Whatever.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Second Crossing**

  
  
  
  
  
Speirs stopped hoping that Perconte might fail this challenge when he noticed he was guiding Lipton across. He’d rather Lipton _ didn’t _ fall to severe injury or death.    
  
Although Perconte was doing a pretty poor job on his own. Speirs resisted the urge to steal the megaphone away and guide Lipton across himself.    
  
“ Okay um wait! Don’t go left…I meant to say go right. Wait LEFT—that’s MY right…and your left. Sorry!” Perconte hollered.   
  
Lipton smiled patiently and took a cautious step to the left.    
  
Speirs slapped a hand to his forehead in exasperation.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ BILL! I am NOT going to let you fall! Just trust me damn it!” Liebgott growled through the megaphone.    
  
“ It’s not that,” Bill shot back, “I’m just saying I didn’t SEE a step down when I looked at it earlier.”   
  
“ It’s there! Just do it!”    
  
“ Are you-”   
  
Liebgott cut him off, “Step down or I will COME OUT THERE AND DRAG YOU ACROSS BY YOUR BIG, DUMB HEAD!!”   
  
There was a pause.    
  
“ Did I ever tell you how charming you are?”   
  
“ Step down- do it now!”   
  
“ Fine.”   
  
  
  
  
  
Lipton breathed a sigh of relief as his foot hit the ground and he felt cool hands grab his arms and steady him. His blindfold came off and he was looking at Speirs.    
  
“ Good job Frank,” he told the short man as he was handed the megaphone.    
  
Ron just rolled his eyes with a smirk, but said nothing.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Joe shot Bill a smug look as he relinquished the megaphone. “You’re welcome.”   
  
Bill glared and pinched him hard on his right nipple.    
  
“ OW!” Joe clutched his chest and swatted at Bill, “What the Hell was that for!?”   
  
“ That’s for yelling at me in front of the children.”   
  
Joe glared, “The children huh? I’m claiming spousal abuse then.”   
  
“ You would you girl.”   
  
“ Whatever you dick.”   
  
Nixon piped up from where he was now behind them. “Need I remind you that being called a Dick isn’t such an insult in present company.”   
  
He jerked his thumb back at Winters.    
  
“ He has a point.” Bill noted.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Third Crossing**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Okay Alex, this one’s a bit tricky. Just take a very long, but slow step forward. There’s no step right in front of you but you don’t want to go forward unless you feel something under your foot.” Lipton called out to him.    
  
“ He’s doing good.” Frank observed.    
  
Speirs shrugged, “Anyone looks good if they went after you.”   
  
“ Hey!”   
  
  
  
  
  
“ Now you have to step down.” Bill instructed Evans, “But it’s not that easy. So don’t go down-”   
  
Evans stepped down too quickly and tripped forward, not falling off the bridge but banging his nose hard on the step in front of him.    
  
“ -too fast.” Bill finished his sentence with a sigh.    
  
He frowned when he saw Evans’ bloody nose. “You’re okay! Now just step up.”   
  
“ Nice going.” Sobel snapped at him and Bill noticed that he might actually be worried. But whether he was worried about Evans or the challenge he wasn’t    
sure.    
  
As Bill continued to guide Evans across the bridge, Sobel looked around for something to give the guy for his bloody nose.    
  
He noted the blindfold that Joe had tossed to the ground and quickly picked it up. When Evans reached the other side safely he walked over and handed it to him.    
  
“ For your nose.”   
  
Evan’s grinned up at him brightly through the blood, “Thanks.”   
  
Dick smiled at the scene and turned back to watch as Penkala made it safely across.   
  
  
  
  
  


**Fourth Crossing**

  
  
  
  
“ You’re fine!” Penkala assured Jo who was frowning as he walked delicately across the bridge with his arms outstretched for balance.   
  
Speirs, assured that Penkala had everything under control, ceased his close observation and moved to stand next to Lipton.    
  
“ What?” the blond man asked.    
  
Speirs inclined his head slightly, “I was just realizing that you’re very…patient.”   
  
“ Okay?”   
  
“ It’s just not what I expected.”   
  
“ How do you mean?”    
  
Speirs pinned him with a contemplative look, and Lipton found himself a little uncomfortable underneath it’s weight.    
  
“ You’re a….nice guy.”   
  
Lipton snorted and averted his gaze to the others, “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”   
  
“ Why are you here? Why are you doing this? I mean…do you really even care about winning?”   
  
Lipton shrugged, “I…don’t know.”   
  
“ Maybe you should figure that out.”   
  
“ Well why do you even care?”   
  
Ron paused, “I’m not sure yet. I guess that’s something  _ I’ll _ figure out.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Wait!” Skip hollered frozen at about halfway across, “Is that EVANS?”   
  
They all exchanged looks. It  _ was _ kinda hard to tell since his voice was a little nasally, cloth still pressed up against his bloody nose.   
  
Evans brought the megaphone to his lips to answer, “Um…YEAH.”   
  
Skip frowned, “Can…can I just stay here?”   
  
Joe rolled his eyes and snatched the megaphone away from Evans, “Just walk you FUCKING CHILD! He was leading you across just fine!”   
  
“ Damn it Joe! No helping!” Nixon snapped from behind them.    
  
“ I wasn’t helping I was prompting!”    
  
“ Same difference.”   
  
Skip listened to them bicker as Evans’ voice began to guide him once more.   
  
“ Yeah…I’m going to fucking die.” He muttered to himself.    
  
Joe looked over at a distracted Bill, “Hey- quit staring at your boyfriend and pay attention to the challenge.”   
  
Bill looked away from where Toye was now being un-blindfolded. “Shut up. Not all of us are queers like you and Babe.”   
  
Joe smirked, “Bullshit.”   
  
“ Don’t make me smack you.” Bill threatened.    
  
“ What? You going to pinch my OTHER nipple you closet case?”   
  
Bill glared.    
  
“ It’s okay...I’d probably like it this time.” Joe smirked at him.    
  
Bill paused, “Joe…I’m going to tell you something and I want you to not hit me.”   
  
“ No promises.”   
  
“ You’re kind of a slut.”   
  
Skip had just made it across.    
  
“ True that!” He hollered.    
  
Joe raised an eyebrow at Bill, “Can I hit him?”   
  
“ By all means.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Fifth Crossing**

  
  
  
  
Skip was leading Babe across fairly well for the most part, that was until- about halfway in-the young man tripped.    
  
“ Shit!” Babe cursed and flailed for a moment before he began to fall backwards. Everyone held their breath as Babe fell off the side of the bridge.   
  
Sobel slapped a hand to his face, “Great…we just lost.”   
  
However, much to everyone’s surprise, Babe reached out and gripped at the bridge tightly with one hand, quickly bringing the second one up next to it.    
  
“ Babe just don’t let go!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Wait…how long is this fall?” Luz asked as he took a shaky step forward.    
  
Jo frowned, “Try not to think about it.”   
  
“ No...it’s cool. I was just curious.”   
  
“ Well it’s pretty far down. But I’m guessing that the actual fall would seem especially long to someone as vertically challenged as you.”   
  
Luz let out a shaky laugh, “Ha ha cute…you remembered.”    
  
Jo shook his head with a smile, “Alright…the next two steps are pretty easy. Just step up once and then step down.”   
  
Luz followed his instructions, “What…no more chit chat?”   
  
Jo laughed and then held up the megaphone, “Most chit chat is not done over a megaphone…or the ocean.”   
  
Luz smiled and took the next step without waiting for Toye’s instruction.    
  
Jo tensed, “Wait for me next time, huh?”   
  
“ I’m fine.” Luz assured.   
  
Jo shook his head again, even though Luz couldn’t see it, “I thought you were scared?”   
  
“ Nah your voice is comforting.”   
  
Jo blushed a little at the smirks his team was giving him. He sighed, “Right.”   
  
“ Hey I bet you that ten bucks I gave you earlier that I can make this all by myself.”   
  
“ I’d rather you not try.” Jo called out.   
  
“ Why…worried I’ll fall?” Luz asked cheekily.    
  
“ No…worried that I’ll lose ten bucks.”   
  
Luz just laughed.   
  
  
  
  
  
“ Don’t let go? NO SHIT!” Babe shouted over to his team, fearful and confused. He couldn’t see shit. He wasn’t sure where his hands were or really how much of the bridge he was holding onto. He had only grabbed the thing by sheer dumb luck.    
  
Skip spoke as calmly as he could manage. “Look-see if you can shimmy to the right a little.    
There isn’t a step there in the middle but there’s still the side of the bridge connecting to the  _ next _ step. If you can get to it then you can loop your arm through that and pull yourself up.”   
  
“ Yeah that’s not going to happen.” Sobel commented. He hadn’t really seen much of Babe in action that was promising aside from Capture the Flag and he doubted that the kid would be able to pull off anything other than complete and utter failure. Well…he might lose his pants again.    
  
“ Shut it.” Bill snapped.    
  
“ Yeah asshole,” Joe added.    
  
Sobel glared at him…damn that guy was really starting to get to him.    
  
Just then Babe pulled himself over to the next step, hooked his arms through and swung himself back up.    
  
Skip grinned, “You got it kid!”   
  
The others hollered- well…except Sobel….but he  _ did _ raise his eyebrows in surprise.    
  
Babe stood shakily, “Yeah well there was no way that I was going to fall  _ now _ after having escaped it yesterday.”   
  
Joe leaned into Sobel’s personal space with a smug smirk, “What were you saying again you prick?”   
  
Sobel looked down at him with contempt, “Get out of my face.”   
  
Joe got a little closer, “Oh I’m not even  _ in _ your face yet.”   
  
Babe made it to the ground and Bill took his blindfold off.    
  
He watched along with Bill as Joe got into Sobel’s air space even more, the other man not moving back as Joe tilted his head back to spew a line of insults at their Captain.   
  
Babe tilted his head in observation, “Wow…Webster’s really got his work cut out for him.”   
  
Bill frowned, “What?”   
  
“ I mean how is he ever going to know whether Joe ACTUALLY likes him if he always looks like he’s ten seconds from fucking somebody else?”   
  
“ What- like with you?”   
  
Babe snorted as he accepted the megaphone from Skip, “Yeah I wish.”   
  
“ Are you still harping on that bullshit? I thought you had a thing for Roe now!”   
  
“ I do….but in case you haven’t noticed Gene’s not having sex with me at the moment!”   
  
“ Wow-so you could have had sex with Joe….big deal. He’s easy.”   
  
Joe stopped his argument with Sobel to stalk over and slap Bill upside the head, “Asshole.”   
  
Babe shrugged, “Dude….sex is sex.”   
  
Bill grimaced and rubbed the side of his head, “Huh nice to know that concept works with gay guys too.”   
  
“ Yeah I’m sure it’ll come in quite handy for you.” Babe replied with a smirk.    
  
“ I’M NOT GAY!”   
  
Jo’s voice came over the megaphone from the red’s side, “Thanks for sharing Bill.”   
  
Bill turned completely red in the face and stuttered incoherently for a moment. “I’m uh...not saying…that’s…um…what I…”   
  
Jo just laughed and turned back to guiding Luz across.    
  
Liebgott and Babe smirked at him.   
  
“ How’d you both like to make that fall?” he challenged them.    
  
Babe lifted his hands up and turned away.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz made the last step down shakily and reached out towards where he hoped Jo would be. He smiled a little as someone (hopefully Toye) grabbed his hand.    
  
When he felt the ground beneath his feet he reached up with his free hand and pulled off his blindfold.    
  
He looked Jo up and down slowly, “You know…you’re not all that tall yourself.”   
  
Jo shoved the megaphone into the hand he was still holding and pointed over Luz’s shoulder, “I think Buck needs you.”   
  
Luz nodded and reminded himself that he really shouldn’t be thinking about Jo so much when he was still hooking up with Buck.    
  
Jo clapped a hand on Luz’s shoulder and spun him around, “As in he needs you to lead him across…right now.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Sixth Crossing**

  
  
  
  
Dick watched as Babe was successfully leading Malarkey across the bridge.    
  
“ Do you really think someone might fall?” he asked Nixon who was looking rather bored, standing next to him.   
  
“ I wish…God this is so boring.”   
  
“ That’s a….pretty awful thing to say. How would you feel if someone actually DID fall?”   
  
Lewis straightened up, “In this hypothetical situation are one of the people falling you or me?”   
  
“ No…because that wouldn’t really make sense.”   
  
“ Oh…well then I wouldn’t care.”   
  
Dick sighed, “Are the divers down there?”   
  
Lewis shrugged, “Um..I think they’re on standby.”   
  
“ In the water?”   
  
“ No…and now you’re giving me a look.”   
  
“ Why don’t you call and make sure the divers actually ARE on standby.”   
  
Nixon sighed and walked off to call Harry…at least on the OTHER side of the ocean…Floyd was still getting to grope the contestants.   
  
Frowning, Winters watched Buck and Don make it across safely and couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.    
  
So far the closest anyone had come to falling was the little scare with Babe. Hopefully that would be the worst of it.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Seventh Crossing**

  
  
  
Webster had heard a lot of commotion from the other side earlier…unfortunately even with the megaphone he hadn’t heard everything…plus being blindfolded he couldn’t see anything.    
  
He was making pretty good progress with Don’ instructions. But Hell…he was rather scared.    
Had someone fallen? Was it Joe?   
  
Damn it! He was right there again. This whole…kissing thing had his brain totally rattled. Mostly because…well he was pretty sure Joe had only done it to throw him off of his questioning.    
  
That didn’t make him enjoy it any less…but now he was just…confused and pissed off. He wanted to know what the other man was hiding.    
  
Oh and he really, really didn’t want to fall. That would be nice.    
  
He wasn’t afraid of heights but one didn’t really have to be in order to be completely petrified by this challenge.    
  
He was more afraid of the unknown. He hadn’t heard ANY reassuring sounds before and not knowing whether or not he was going to suddenly fall far down into an ocean he couldn’t even SEE? That was freaky.    
  
As he continued to make his was across he heard the sound of Joe yelling at someone. He laughed to himself a little…he guessed that Joe was fine.   
  
“ Take one more step and you’re good.” Malarkey said no longer speaking over the megaphone.    
  
David took it quickly, breathing in relief. That hadn’t been so bad.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Blithe was doing incredibly well…Buck was actually  _ really _ impressed. Blithe was pretty calm and the blindfold didn’t really seem to be affecting him all that much.    
  
“ You’re doing great man. Just take a little side step here and go around this little block to get to the next step.”   
  
Blithe paused and slowly slid his foot out and hit the block. He then guided his foot along the side of the block and continued forward with no trouble. He even continued to make a few steps without Buck’s help.    
  
“ Shit,” Luz commented, “He’s doing really great.”   
  
“ Yeah,” Buck agreed as they watched Blithe quickly feel out and discern his own path.    
  
Dick and Nixon watched in interest at Blithe’s progress as well.    
  
“ Do you think he can see through that blindfold?” Nixon asked.   
  
Dick shrugged and leaned over to grabbed one of the discarded blindfolds, “I dunno. Let’s find out.”   
  
He handed it to Lewis, “Put it on me.”   
  
Nixon paused, “What?”   
  
Dick had already turned around, “Go ahead.”   
  
Lewis swallowed and wrapped the cloth around his friend’s eyes, “I love my job.”   
  
“ What?”   
  
“ Nothing.”    
  
Nixon slowly spun the now blindfolded man around to face him. “So? Can you see me?”   
  
Dick’s lips were slightly parted and his eyebrow’s furrowed slightly from where Nix could see them. He was obviously attempting to see through the cloth and couldn’t. Lewis felt an  _ overwhelming _ desire to kiss him.    
  
“ No..I can’t see you...or anything.” Dick informed him.    
  
Nixon smiled softly and put a hand up to Dick’s face, just wanting to touch him. He stopped himself and moved his hands slowly to the back of his friend’s head and began to untie the blindfold.    
  
He made sure not to let his hands linger, there was no need to torture himself.    
  
“ Guess he’s just that good.” Dick said as Blithe made his way to his team.    
  
  
  
  
  


**Eighth (and final) Crossing**

  
  
  
  
  
Gene wasn’t too nervous. He figured that things were fine…he didn’t think anyone had fallen yet. But then…there was always a first time.    
  
He swallowed and listened to Webster begin to instruct him.    
  
Oh this wouldn’t be so bad….Webster was a pretty smart, not to mention articulate, person.    
Gene would be fine…yeah.    
  
  
  
  
  
“ I almost don’t even see the point of watching this.” Frank admitted.    
  
Luz snorted, “Yeah seriously. He’ll probably walk across the damn thing on his hands.”   
  
“ What are you two bitching about?” Jo asked….wishing he had a cigarette.    
  
Buck laughed and slung an arm around Luz’s shoulders, “They’re just jealous that Christenson    
is good at everything.”   
  
“ Hey is it true he’s banging that French broad?” Penkala asked as they watched Burton make pretty good progress despite Blithe’s somewhat shaky instruction.    
  
“ Alex,” Lipton frowned disapprovingly.    
  
“ What? She’s hot man…I swear I-” he began to defend himself but Lip cut him off.    
  
“ Don’t talk about women like that. It’s rude.” The man snapped…well as much as Lip ever snapped.    
  
Penkala quieted, appropriately scolded.    
  
Speirs leaned over towards Lipton, “You know what they say about nice guys?”   
  
Lipton sighed, “Yeah I do.”   
  
Suddenly they heard Blithe call out to Christenson, “Okay just step forward slowly and then-”   
  
“ Wait. Wait!” Speirs rushed forward, “There’s no step there!”   
  
But Burton had already taken a short, and confident, step due to Blithe’s order.    
  
And he went plunging straight down.    
  
They all stared.    
  
“ Shit!” Jo cursed and rushed over to go onto the bridge and either go after him or…catch him?   
  
Luz wasn’t sure WHAT he was going to do but he quickly grabbed his arms and held him back, “It’s too late he’s already gone… he’ll be okay.”   
  
Jo jerked his arms out of Luz’s grip, “Oh shit.”   
  
Dick and Ron immediately sprung into action and jogged over to them.    
  
“ Is he already in the water?” Ron asked.   
  
Frank nodded, “Yeah.”   
  
“ Alright tell us when he resurfaces.” Their captain ordered.   
  
“ Nix! Did you ask Harry about the divers?” Dick asked.    
  
The host nodded with wide eyes.    
  
“ And?” Dick prompted.    
  
Lewis shook his head, “I dunno. He said he’s check himself but he didn’t think they were in position yet. He hasn’t called me back.”   
  
Frank whirled around when he heard that, “WHAT? I thought you guys were PREPARED for something like this!”   
  
Dick just sent Nixon a sad look. He had known this would happen. Why didn’t Lew ever listen to him?   
  
“ Luz do you see him yet?”   
  
George shook his head.   
  
Gene, who Webster had safely guided across, rushed over to them. “How’d he fall?”   
  
“ What?”   
  
“ Were his legs together or apart?”   
  
“ Definitely apart.” Lipton answered quickly.    
  
“ Shit..if he hit that water hard enough he might’ve…”   
  
Dick didn’t even need for Roe to finish his sentence, “Oh no.”   
  
He ran over to the bridge, pulling his shirt over his head. “Lewis get down there and call Harry and get Renee over here NOW!”   
  
“ What are you doing!?” His friend called back to him frantically.    
  
Dick walked out to the center of the bridge, not at all afraid of the height. He just had to remember to keep his legs together tightly.    
  
“ Dick DON’T-” Nixon yelled but Dick took folded his arms, pinched his nose and jumped over, legs held together.    
  
Nixon watched him jump in horror. He ran over to the SUV pointing at Gene. “Hey Doc come with me.”   
  
“ Um…I’m not actually a doctor.”   
  
“ Let’s go! Now!”   
  
Gene followed him wordlessly and Nixon handed him his cell, “Hit speed dial number six. Tell Renee to get Bull and Johnny, get into her emergency truck and get her ass down here now.”   
  
The vehicle was practically speeding down the path back to the beach and Gene REALLY hoped they didn’t crash, “Wait you don’t have a doctor on standby?”   
  
“ In case you haven’t noticed, we cut a lot of corners. We have a couple of paramedics but nothing hardcore and the divers weren’t in position.”   
  
Gene couldn’t believe this, “Why the fuck not? What the Hell is your problem? You knew this could happen! This was y’alls goddamn idea!”   
  
“ I KNOW! And trust me…if something happens to Dick….I’ll… just call her damn it!”   
  
Gene let the phone ring.    
  
Nixon gripped the steering wheel tightly. This could have happened yesterday…but then they had been prepared. What the fuck had happened?    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To say that the Red team was pissed off was kind of an understatement.   
  
“ He could be really hurt!”   
  
“ Way to off our best player you idiot!”   
  
Ron quickly turned on Blithe as well.    
  
“ What in God’s name were you thinking? Anyone with two eyes in their head could clearly see that there was NO step there!” the captain began to shout.    
  
When he took a menacing step forward, Lipton reached out and grabbed his arm gently, “You need to calm down. Now.”   
  
“ I’m s-sorry.” Blithe stammered.    
  
Speirs shook his head but let Lipton pull him back. “I’m making the trek down there. Who’s coming with?”   
  
Everyone, Blue team included, nodded and began to move.    
  
“ I can’t see.”   
  
They all stopped and turned to look at Blithe. Whose bright, pale blue eyes were obviously terrified…and oddly unfocused.    
  
“ Say what?” Luz asked.    
  
“ I uh…have this thing…it’s a stress disorder. It causes my vision to go in and out. Sometimes I…I go completely blind or I uh…can’t see as well as normal. That’s why I didn’t…I couldn’t SEE if there was a step there or not…I just remember walking and I thought there had been a step and I…”   
  
Ron frowned and walked over slowly, “Can you see right now?”   
  
Blithe began to breathe heavily, “N-no…no I can’t see a thing.”   
  
His pale eyes were wide and he wasn’t staring at Ron…but off to the side of him.   
  
Penkala butted in, “That’s why you were always looking around, looking at the sun...”   
  
“ It really is brighter here…I can….I can actually see it here.”   
  
Ron just stared at him, “Look…it’s going to be okay.”   
  
He gently grabbed the young man’s shoulders. “Let’s just go check on them. This isn’t your fault.”   
  
Lipton watched him with a smile.    
  
Turns out Ron was a nice guy too.    
  
  
  
  
  
About a hundred feet below them…Dick splashed into the water at an impressive speed, going far beneath the surface.    
  
He opened his eyes underneath the salty water and struggled to keep his wits about him. He began to look around….but he couldn’t see Christenson.    
  
This was not good.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**A/N:** Haha that line Sobel gives Joe at the beginning of the challenge is from Total Drama Island and I thought it was just funny and appropriate.

 


	10. Blaze a Trail

**Disclaimer:** _ I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy! _   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Oh my God. Is he dead?”   
  
“ No.”   
  
“ Are you sure?”   
  
“ He’s just unconscious you moron!”   
  
“ Eww his leg’s all fucked up.”   
  
“ That’s because it’s broken George.”   
  
“ Are you  _ sure _ he’s not dead?”   
  
“ Yes I’m goddamned sure!”   
  
“ Geez Gene...chill.”   
  
“ Hey this sucks and all but…we still won right?”   
  
Gene, now completely fed up with the crowd that was surrounding him and Christenson, turned around and bitchslapped Evans in the face.    
  
“ OW!” The dim witted blonde cried and held a hand to his cheek. Babe tried to muffle his laughter.    
  
“ Everyone get the fuck back!” Gene snapped at them all.    
  
When he and Nixon had finally made it down to the oceanside, Dick and the divers were supporting a limp Christenson as they came out of the water. And Penkala was right, he  _ did _ look dead.    
  
At least he would have to the untrained eye. But Gene knew better. He had immediately calmed Nixon and rushed forward to make sure that they handled Burton’s broken right leg with the proper care.   
  
Nixon, for his part, was too busy fretting over Dick.    
  
“ Are you sure you’re alright?” The host asked his friend for the 20th consecutive time.    
  
Dick nodded from where he was standing, just near enough to Christenson not to incur Gene’s wrath, and pouring water out of his shoes.    
  
Lewis frowned when he received the non verbal answer, “What? You aren’t talking to me now?”   
  
“ I’m angry with you Lewis. Not talking to you is better than losing my temper with you.” Dick informed him in that clipped, yet oh-so respectful tone that was just so  _ him _ .    
  
Lewis swallowed. If Dick was publicly stating that he was angry then he must have really meant that he was PISSED. Dick was a man who never lost his temper. Nixon wasn’t aware he’d even had a temper if he hadn’t  _ just _ indicated that he might lose it.    
  
“ This was…”   
  
“ This should never have happened.” Dick calmly stated as he put his shoe back on and turned around when he heard Renee coming in with the emergency truck.    
  
He walked over to greet her and tell her what had happened, not giving Lewis a second glance.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The host sighed as he looked over the assembled contestants, who were loudly chattering amongst themselves. “Okay everybody shut up!”   
  
They all quieted, which was…unusual. He guessed they were pretty anxious for news on Christenson.    
  
“ As you all know, because you were all there, Christenson took a nasty spill into the ocean today. Fortunately the worst injury he’s suffered is a broken leg and some minor bruises. But Renee and Doc Roe, as I have chosen to dub him, say he’ll be up and alert in a few of hours.”   
  
“ What are they doing here?” Skip asked curiously as he noticed Bull Randleman and Johnny Martin hovering closely nearby with some security staff.    
  
“ Umm…they’re here to protect me.” Nixon admitted.    
  
Speirs frowned, “From what?”   
  
“ Uh…from what you might do to me when I tell you that, despite Christenson’s injury, the Red team still has to vote two people into the arena for tomorrow.” The host informed them nervously.    
  
He winced as the onslaught of protests came in the form of curses and hollering. He resisted the urge to duck behind Martin for cover as many of the red members stood up abruptly.    
  
Finally, when the yelling was getting to be a bit much, Bull, one of their heads of security, clapped his hands together and whistled loudly. “Now y’all sit your asses back down!”   
  
Everyone quieted, and a few immediately dropped back to the log on which they’d risen from.    
  
Bull continued. “It‘s just a damn game, y’all knew what you signed up for. Now we’re sorry yer friend got hurt but he signed the paperwork too.”   
  
Nixon watched as some of the more outspoken protesters had the decency to look ashamed.    
  
“ Alright, uh…thank you Bull.” Nixon said to him before turning back to the contestants. “So I hate to say it Red team, but be back here in 3 hours and ready to cast your votes. And as I said before, you can visit Christenson in about 3-4 hours.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ You look awfully relaxed.” Luz observed as he tried to step over Buck’s legs where they were resting on top of the coffee table and blocking Luz’s path to the kitchen.    
  
However, Buck trapped one of his legs between his knees and pulled him down onto the couch.    
“ I am. Thanks.” The blonde teased him.    
  
Luz glared playfully, “Need some attention?”   
  
Buck rolled his eyes before checking around them to make sure no one was paying them too much mind. “Yes actually.”   
  
Then he leaned forward and caught Luz up in a kiss, sliding a hand down to rest on the smaller man’s thigh.    
  
“ AH! Get a room you two.” Penkala yelped, shielding his eyes from the sight of their macking.    
Buck pulled away and Luz flipped Alex off.    
  
“ Get me a beer you bitch and then maybe I’ll consider sparing your no doubt virgin eyes.” Luz snapped at him.   
  
Penkala frowned, “Hey! What is that supposed to mean?”   
  
Luz chose to ignore him and turned back to Buck, “So who’re you voting for?”   
  
Buck laughed, “Who do you think?”   
  
Alex, obviously sensing that he was not wanted, went off to seek out his roommates. Stupid couples. Hopefully Buck and George were the only two people he’d have to see slobbering on each other regularly.    
  
Yeah..right.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So,” David started cautiously, eyeing Liebgott over the countertop, “are we ever going to talk about it?”   
  
“ Talk about what?” Joe asked, obviously feigning indifference as he peeled the paper off of his beer bottle.    
  
“ You know what.” David hissed. Was Joe really going to pretend like he hadn’t ambushed him with that kiss earlier?   
  
“ I don’t know what!” Babe pointed out unhelpfully from the other side of the kitchen.    
  
David glared, “Babe…why don’t you go find Gene?”   
  
“ He’s with Christenson right now.”    
  
“ Then why don’t you just go.” Webster suggested.    
  
“ But I…”   
  
“ Before I forget that I’m not supposed to tell anyone your little..”, Webster didn’t even have to finish his sentence for Babe to take the hint.    
  
“ Alright! I’m going, I’m going.” The teen moped out of the kitchen.   
  
David turned his attention back to Joe. “So?”   
  
Joe frowned, “So? When did you start acting like a little girl about this?”   
  
“ Hey!” he protested, “I am not acting like a little girl! I think it’s perfectly reasonable for me to want to know why you did what you did.”   
  
With a roll of his eyes, Joe hopped off the barstool and swiped his now bare beer bottle off the counter. “I did it because I wanted to.”   
  
Then he flicked Webster in the ear and walked away. David glared after him.    
“ Oh like that’s really helpful.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So do you think you’re going in?” Bill asked, looking at Jo out of the corner of his eye.    
  
Toye shrugged and cast a look around at all of his team members that he could physically see. “Probably. I just wish I knew who was voting for me.”   
  
That made Bill smirk, “What good would that do?”   
  
“ I dunno. Make me feel less anxious? At least then I would know who to vote for right back. Or I could call them out and make them face me in the arena.”   
  
“ As it is now…who do you think you’ll vote for?” Babe asked, having joined the two of them after being dismissed rather finally from the kitchen.    
  
“ Probably Blithe I guess.”   
  
Babe winced, “Aw dude. The blind kid? Harsh.”   
  
“ Hey…whatever’s wrong with him aside, he’s still the one who lost us that challenge and got Christenson sidelined. Besides he’s a liability.” Toye defended his choice.    
  
“ Not to mention you’ll be able to beat him.” Bill pointed out.    
  
Toye lifted his beer bottle, “Hell yeah.”   
  
The other two laughed and clinked their drinks with his.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Ouch-he went in for the lip bite.”   
  
“ That’s particularly aggressive this early on.”   
  
“ Most likely the most action we’ll see at this point- oh wait, wait…where are his hands? The hands are wandering!”   
  
Lipton watched as Malarkey, Penkala, and Skip made an uncomfortably funny commentary on the status of Buck and Luz’s make out session.    
  
He tried not to notice that Speirs was watching him watch them…and not being discreet about it. Finally he gave in and shot Ron a small smile, “So…still trying to figure me out?”   
  
“ Yes.”   
  
Carwood blinked, “Oh…I wasn’t serious.”   
  
Ron gave him an unusually gentle smile and checked the clock in the living room. “It’s that time again.”   
  
He moved forward, gently grabbed Carwood’s elbow and led him to the living room. “Let’s go Red team!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz slipped away from Buck to catch up with Jo as the Red team trekked to the beach to cast their votes.    
  
“ So I have a plan,” He informed Toye.   
  
Toye jumped, apparently not knowing that Luz had started walking with him. He smiled at him, amused, “Oh do you now?”   
  
“ Yep. I know everyone is going to vote for Blithe.”   
  
“ Okay.”   
  
“ Well since we don’t know the douche bag who keeps voting for you, I’m going to vote for someone else and try to split the votes.” Luz explained.    
  
Jo nodded, it made sense he supposed. “And just who were you planning on voting for?”   
  
“ Penkala.”   
  
Toye raised an eyebrow, “Why Alex? I doubt he’s the one voting for me.”   
  
“ Well we don’t know, do we?” George pointed out. “Besides…might as well be him. So do you want to vote that way too? Just to make sure?”   
  
Jo shook his head, “Nope.”   
  
Luz gaped, “What? You’ll go in for sure then!”   
  
“ Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” Jo shrugged. “But either way I’ll know that I voted for someone who deserved to go. That’s not Alex. It’s Blithe.”   
  
Luz stopped and watched him keep going with a look of confusion and admiration on his face.   
  
  
  
  
  


**At the Beach**

  
  
  
  
“ Why are  _ you _ doing this?” Perconte wondered out loud as the red team watched Nixon tally up the votes.    
  
Nixon couldn’t believe this. Most of the annoying people were on the blue team, save Grant…who’d they’d already gotten rid of. Just when he thought he’d get some freaking respect!   
  
“ Because Dick is busy right now and couldn’t be bothered to do it.” He tried to explain calmly.    
  
“ You mean because he’s avoiding you?” Talbert asked for clarification from behind the cameras.    
  
Nixon gave him an ugly look before he finished counting the votes. “Alright at least there was some variety in this batch but I hate to say that the set up is going to look rather familiar.”   
  
“ Damn it!” Toye groaned.    
  
Nixon shrugged, “Sorry. The two people competing to stay in the game tomorrow are Toye and Blithe. Be ready and at the arena by noon tomorrow. And Christenson’s up for visitors for sure now.”   
  
They all nodded and dispersed, most likely to go check on their fallen comrade.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ugh…his fucking head. Burton winced at the pounding that seemed to be emanating from his brain. What had happened? What was all that noise?   
  
“ Shh…guys he’s waking up. Shut up.”   
  
Was that Frank?   
  
Blinking his eyes open, Christenson stared up at the faces of all his teammates who were, for some reason, crowded around him.    
  
“ Um…hi?” he mumbled. “What are you guys doing here?”   
  
Lipton and Speirs shared a concerned look.   
  
“ Do you not remember..?” Lipton started softly before he was interrupted.    
  
“ Long story short-Blithe sucks, you fell off the bridge and your right leg’s broken.” Luz summed up for him.    
  
Toye sighed at him, “I feel like we’ve discussed your lack of tact before.”   
  
Luz just shrugged.   
  
Christenson gaped, “What? Are you serious?”   
  
He finally looked down to see that his leg was in a cast and being propped up.   
  
“ But I don’t feel anything.” He tried to reason, “Are you sure it’s broken?”   
  
Suddenly the silky voice he was beginning to grow fond of cut in. “Oh it is most definitely broken. You are on some very good medication right now though.”   
  
He looked over as Renee stopped next to his head and gave him a warm smile.    
  
“ Did you fix me up?” he asked her.    
  
She shrugged, “Mostly. Gene helped.”   
  
“ Thanks.”   
  
“ You’re welcome.” She responded, discreetly slipping her hand into his.    
  
Luz rolled his eyes, “Oh give it a break. We all know already.”   
  
Renee laughed. “Well in that case.”   
  
She leant down and pecked their lips together.    
  
Penkala threw his hands up, “Good God they’re everywhere!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Next Morning**

  
  
  
  
  
Nixon wasn’t quite sure if he’d rather Dick just not be talking to him.    
  
“ Did you know they aren’t going to send Christenson to an actual hospital?” Dick asked, obviously not pleased about this news.    
  
“ Harry…may have mentioned that to me.” Nixon admitted, somewhat scared.    
  
“ Did he say why?”   
  
“ Umm it might have something to do with budgeting…and some rather legal talk that I mostly slept through.”   
  
Dick sighed and rubbed his forehead, “This is a mess.”   
  
“ Cheer up?” Nixon gave him an uneasy smile. “Besides he’ll be happy enough with Renee nursing him back to health.”   
  
“ I suppose you’re right.”   
  
“ So Dick...” Nixon wasn’t entirely sure how to put this. “We’re okay right? You and me…because I can’t…I mean we  _ have _ to be okay.”   
  
Dick smiled softly and Nixon felt a huge weight lift off his chest.    
  
“ Yeah Lew we’re going to be okay. It’s just…I wish you would listen to me.”   
  
“ I do listen to you!” Lewis protested.    
  
Dick shook his head. “You didn’t listen to me yesterday.”   
  
“ You know I don’t make all the rules Dick.”   
  
“ No, but if you wanted to change how things were done around here you could. But you don’t. Because you don’t care.” Dick argued.    
  
“ What do you want me to change?” Nixon asked. “Say the word and I’ll get it done. I swear.”   
  
“ I shouldn’t have to tell you these things Nix. You should want to do it yourself. See that’s the problem I’m having.” Dick was obviously running low on his usually endless patience. “But you know what? I do care. So if you say you’ll change something then that’s great. How about you start by making sure everybody does their job? Including you.”   
  
Lewis felt his shoulders slump in defeat as his friend walked away to make sure the contestants were coming. There was almost no feeling like knowing that Dick was disappointed in him.    
  
“ This sucks.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Babe was walking alongside Bill and Joe when he felt someone tug him back by his shirt.    
  
“ Gotcha.” Gene smiled at him, the blue of Babe’s shirt dark between his fingers. “Been looking for you all morning.”   
  
Babe grinned. “Oh yeah? Thought you were still off being the big hero  _ Doc _ .”   
  
Gene blushed and Babe took a moment to be immensely pleased with himself. “I wish y’all would stop calling me that. Besides I didn’t jump off that bridge after him.”   
  
“ True. But I thought you were kick ass anyway. I especially liked the part where you smacked Evans.”   
  
Gene just laughed, “Yeah I kinda enjoyed that part myself. Don’t tell anybody though.”   
  
The red head made a lip zipping motion.   
  
David watched their interaction with amusement. He stilled when he felt someone’s breath on his neck.    
  
“ Aww aren’t they just precious?” Joe asked, sarcasm dripping from his tone.   
  
Webster snorted, “Yeah…like a couple of middle schoolers.”   
  
That made Joe smirk, “Knew I liked something about you. I think it’s your bitchy side.”   
  
“ You have enough bitchiness for the both of us.” He shot back.    
  
“ There it is again.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**In The Arena**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Okay everybody!” Nixon clapped his hands to get to the contestants’ attention. “Welcome back to the arena. Although I gather that the Red team’s still a little pissed about being here…what with the looks you all are giving me.”   
  
He noticed as he looked over the Red team that Blithe was staring at the ground impatiently and jiggling his leg.   
  
“ So today will be the last NEW arena challenge. After this one-on-one challenge we will begin to recycle the previous ones. Today’s arena challenge involves-“   
  
“ Umm can I say something?” Blithe spoke up quietly, now standing to his feet.   
  
Nixon sighed at the interruption. “…If you must.”   
  
The wide-eyed blonde turned to face his teammates. “Guys I don’t know what this challenge is and I don’t care. We all know I’d lose. Toye is…yeah. And I…I should be the one to go. Christenson is in the hospital because of me and I’m…I’m really sorry. I didn’t...I didn’t mean to let anyone down.”   
  
Winters quickly intervened with a hand to Blithe’s shoulder. “You didn’t.”   
  
Blithe nodded, “What I mean to say is um…I think I’m just gonna go. There’s no reason for me to put Jo through another one of these things.”   
  
Winters just nodded and patted the young man’s back. Everyone looked stunned, except for Nixon who just looked upset.    
  
“ What!? But you can’t just quit! This is the challenge where people barf!” The host practically shrieked.    
  
They all stared at him with wide eyes. Dick ignored his outburst and turned to the red team. “Why don’t you guys come down here and say goodbye? Your teammate just did a very selfless thing.”   
  
Jo reached Blithe first, gripping his hand and pulling him in close for a one armed hug.    
“ Thanks man. I appreciate it.” He whispered into the blonde’s ear.    
  
Blithe gave him a sad smile. “It’s the least I could do.”   
  
Penkala came up behind him, flinging an arm around his shoulders. “You’re a good kid.”   
  
The rest of the red team silently agreed.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Challenge**

  
  
  
  
  
“ I see trails again. Why do I have a feeling this is going to be another race?” Penkala griped as all the contestants unloaded from the jeeps and were ushered towards a clearing on the beach that met with an expanse of Brazilian rainforest.    
  
“ It’s always a race.” Skip answered him as they looked over the two wide trails that broke off in opposite directions in the forest.    
  
“ Well in many ways racing is the most natural and earliest form of competition.” Webster weighed in behind them. “Hell everything in life is a race.”   
  
“ Webster shut up. No one’s listening.” Joe said with a smirk.   
  
David glared. “You’re so rude!”   
  
“ So is your face!” Babe shouted from where he was standing with Bill and Gene.    
  
Webster spun around. “That doesn’t even make sense.”   
  
“ _ So is your face _ always makes sense!” The teen shot back.    
  
Liebgott folded his arms, “That’s a compelling argument.”   
  
“ I hate you all.” Webster decided with a sigh.    
  
“ Me too!” Nixon spoke up from where he was now standing before them. “Which is why I think I derive so much joy from my job! But as you were so notably pointing out…um….whichever one of you said it….this is a race!”   
  
“ Knew it.” Penkala and Skip muttered in unison.    
  
“ Yes you’re both very perceptive. Congratulations. So this is a rather simple challenge. Well at least I like to think so. The red team takes one path and the blue team takes one path. In the traditional sense this is NOT really a race. The way to win a race is by getting to the finish line before the competition.” Nixon explained.    
  
“ That’s not what we’re doing?” Evans asked.    
  
Dick shook his head. “The winner of this challenge will be whichever team manages to get the most members across the finish line in two hours."   
  
“ Man that’s lame.” Perconte noted, “We have less people.”   
  
“ True.” Nixon conceded, “However we have a wonderful equalizer in the form of random rainforest booby traps! Plus there are plenty of wild things out there. We were tempted to give you guns should you run into a jaguar but our producers are worried you might all kill each other. So instead the best we can do is to tell you to try and run up a tree.”   
  
“ Wait, wait.” Don waved his hands a bit, “What kind of booby traps?”   
  
“ Pssh like I’m going to ruin THAT surprise?” Nixon grinned maniacally. “Time starts….NOW!”   
Bill grimaced, “Damn it. Well let’s go.”   
  
He and the rest of his team members headed towards the path on the right, and seeing as there were no colors to distinguish between them the red team took the one on the left.    
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Blue Trail**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Wow….I never realized how pretty it is out here.” Babe breathed out in wonder, gazing at the bright sky that was being obscured by the foliage of the rainforest.   
  
Joe shrugged, “You’ve seen one jungle you’ve seen them all.”   
  
Babe shook his head, “No…this one’s different.”   
  
Gene gave a small smile as he studied the young man out of the corner of his eye.   
  
Webster raised an eyebrow incredulously at Liebgott, “And just how many jungles  _ have _ you seen?”   
  
“ I spent a few months living in Cuba and about a month in Nicaragua.” The man answered with a shrug.    
  
“ What the Hell were you doing there?” Don asked.   
  
Sobel snorted from the front of their group. “Probably feeding his meth habit.”   
  
Joe just casually strode forward and kicked the blue captain in the back of his left knee, sending him crashing to the ground. He pointedly stepped on Sobel’s back as he walked by.    
  
Evans rushed to help Sobel up and the rest of the blue team tried to muffle their laughter, Sobel’s statement easily forgotten at the joy of witnessing the snooty man’s humiliation.    
  
Sobel glared daggers into Liebgott’s back as he brushed dirt off of his face. He knew that little prick was tweaking….he just had to find out how to prove it.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Trail**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Oh you have GOT to be fucking kidding me.” Luz growled as they came upon the first of Nixon’s little surprises on their trail.    
  
Penkala just stared down at the part of their pathway that was covered with hissing red snakes. “This qualifies as less of a booby trap and more of an obstacle.”   
  
Speirs noticed that Lipton was practically frozen in place. He gently nudged him. “Are you okay?”   
  
Lipton slowly turned his head to the side, never taking his eyes off the jumble of snakes. “I suppose this is a bad time to mention my fear of snakes.”   
  
Speirs frowned, “I don’t think they’d be poisonous.”   
  
Buck shrugged, “I certainly wouldn’t put it past Nixon.”   
  
Speirs glared at him and the blonde quickly added, “But you’re probably right. I’m sure they’re not venomous.”   
  
Lipton shook his head. “That’s an Amazon Tree boa. It’s not poisonous.”   
  
Perconte raised an eyebrow, “How the Hell do you know that?”   
  
“ One thing about having a phobia...you kind of obsess over it. I learned about this snake when I was 16. During a school trip to Mexico.” Carwood told him.    
  
“ Then why are you scared?” Jo wondered.    
  
“ I never said it was a rational fear.” Lipton conceded. “But there are plenty of reasons to be afraid of this snake in particular. For one it has incredibly long and sharp teeth, plus you really don’t want to let it get wrapped around your leg.”   
  
“ Why….?” Luz drawled.    
  
“ Because it’s a climber and it uses its long body to suffocate its victims.” Lipton told him.    
  
“ Oh…”   
  
Speirs looked at them for a moment. “So do we go through them or over them?”   
  
“ _ Can _ you go over them?” Buck asked.    
  
Speirs spread his legs and pushed himself into a sprint, jumping over the wide block the various snakes posed. He landed on the other side with a little room to spare.    
  
He looked across the snakes at his team. “I guess so.”   
  
Buck grinned and followed his lead. Soon the two of were both safely out of the snakes’ reach.   
  
George rolled his eyes, “Good for you guys and your long legs. What the Hell am I supposed to do?”   
  
Perconte nodded, “Yeah…no way I’ll make that jump.”   
  
“ I’ll give it a shot.” Penkala said and made a jump for it.    
  
He just barely cleared the snakes when one of them rose up to lunge towards him. Speirs moved around Buck to kick the small boa in the head and knock it back into the pile.    
  
“ Oh badass.” Toye laughed, “It also gives me an idea.”   
  
“ Is this a good idea?” Perconte asked him.    
  
Jo shrugged. “It is for you guys. Get behind me.”   
  
George was about to say something but Jo was already moving into the fray of snakes, kicking them away from him and clearing a path. Luz simply grumbled about his stupid plan and followed behind him, along with Perconte.    
  
When Speirs noticed that Lipton wasn’t moving he worked his way over to Toye and helped him beat a path before reaching out and grabbing Lipton’s wrist and jerking him into movement.    
  
Carwood snapped out of his stupor and allowed himself to be pulled along the path. Soon the whole team was clear of the hissing snakes, who were none too happy with being kicked around.   
  
Lipton watched as the others grinned and headed down their trail. He could feel his own heart beating rapidly and couldn’t believe he had just  _ walked _ through a pile of  _ snakes _ .   
  
Feeling a coolness on his wrist he suddenly remembered…he didn’t walk. He was pulled.    
  
He stared at the thumb that was resting over his pulse and looked up to meet Ron’s serious gaze. “Thanks…for that.”   
  
“ Are you okay?” The captain asked.    
  
“ Yeah I-”   
  
“ Hey are we moving or what?!” Luz hollered over to them.    
  
Lipton quickly moved away and headed towards the team. Speirs watched him go in frustration, wondering if Buck would care if he threw a snake on Luz…   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Blue Trail**

  
  
  
  
“ If you could have any other name, what would it be?” Babe asked the group randomly.    
  
Joe snorted and glanced over at Sobel, “Think that question is for you  _ Herbert _ .”   
  
Sobel rolled his eyes and was about to snap back a reply when Bill quickly raised his hand to shush them. The comeback died on his lips and he gave Guarnere a strange look.   
  
“ What is it Bill?” Don asked looking nervous.    
  
Bill glanced around suspiciously, “You guys hear something?”   
  
Skip shrugged, “Not…really.”   
  
Gene frowned, “Is it…like a growling noise?”   
  
Bill just nodded slowly.    
  
“ Uh…guys?” Webster interrupted pointing behind them.    
  
They all turned around to see what Webster was looking at.    
  
A large, spotted jaguar was staring at them from a rock about 30 feet away. They all froze.   
  
“ Okay…” Evans spoke slowly, “Maybe we should just play dead?”   
  
Skip nodded as he began to slowly back away, “Yeah you do that Jaguar Food. For those people who want to live- there’s a tree right behind us. I say we make a break for it.”   
  
Gene looked rather dubious about the plan, “Can’t jaguars climb trees?”   
  
“ Do you have a better idea?” Skip asked. Gene shook his head. “Alright then. On three. One…”   
  
Babe swallowed, “We’re going to die aren’t we?”   
  
“ Two…”   
  
Joe shrugged, “Not all of us.”   
  
“ Three!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Trail**

  
  
  
  
Perconte’s loud cry of “Shit!” stopped the red team in its track. They all spun around to check on him only to be greeted to thin air.    
  
“ Uh where’s Frank?” Penkala asked.    
  
“ Down here!” Frank hollered to them, his voice sounding somewhat distant.    
  
Speirs frowned as he and Lipton doubled back to see what was going on. Walking past the others, Ron snorted when he came upon Perconte standing in the bottom of a large hole that looked about 7 feet deep.   
  
Frank glared at his Captain, “This ain’t funny! Get me outta here.”   
  
Ron held up his finger to indicate that Perconte should wait and turned to Buck, “Buck you’re the tallest, hop down in there and give him a boost and then we’ll pull you out.”   
  
Lipton turned to check on Perconte, “You okay down there Frank?”   
  
“ Damn Nixon,” Perconte cursed, “I swear he’s got it in for us. I think I may have twisted my ankle.”   
  
Luz kicked up some dirt, “Why the Hell does no one on the blue team ever get hurt?”   
  
Toye shrugged.    
  
Buck hopped as gently into the hole as he could manage, “You gonna make it up Frank?”   
  
“ Yeah yeah, just gimme a boost.” Frank grumbled and put his uninjured foot into Buck’s cupped hands. He suppressed a wince as he was propelled up.    
  
Lipton grabbed his hands quickly and helped him sit on the ground. “Good. Lemme see that ankle.”   
  
Just as Toye and Speirs moved forward to help pull Buck out of the hole, Penkala hissed, “Toye DON’T move!”   
  
Jo paused mid stride and glanced over at Alex, “What is it? Another trap?”   
  
Penkala shook his head and pointed down to Jo’s right leg. Everyone looked down to see one of the red snakes comfortably wrapped around Jo’s calf and slowly moving north.   
  
Jo pulled a face, “That’s..not good.”   
  
“ How could you not have FELT THAT?” Luz demanded.    
  
Jo glared at him, “Could you not yell at me right now?”   
  
Speirs turned away from Buck, “Just leave it alone for now..”   
  
Lipton nodded, “Yeah you don’t want to startle it.”   
  
Toye watched it slither up his leg with a grimace. “Fuck that, there is no way I’m giving that thing a chance to bite my nuts.”   
  
Luz snorted in amusement but then put on a serious face, “Just don’t-”   
  
But Jo’s hands had already shot to his leg. He grabbed the snake’s back end with his left hand and its neck with his right. The creature began to hiss and spit as Jo struggled to unwrap it from his leg. Then the snake slithered forward slightly and slipped around, sinking its sharp fangs into Jo’s right wrist.   
  
“ FUCK!” Toye shouted and tried to shake it off, but the snake wasn’t budging.    
  
“ What the Hell is going on up there?” Buck shouted from the hole.    
  
Lipton had gone totally white and Luz was on the verge of freaking out.    
  
George moved forward to help but Toye quickly pulled away, “Stay back! I got it.”   
  
That earned him a glare from Luz, “Yeah you look like you got it.”   
  
Jo ignored him and slowly moved his left thumb to the top of the snake's head before creeping it into the roof of the snake’s mouth and jerking upwards, dislodging its teeth from his wrist.    
  
Luz rushed forward and grabbed the snake, flinging it off to the side of their trail, where it wriggled around momentarily before giving them what could possibly be described as a glare before slithering away.    
  
Toye’s wrist was a bloody mess and Luz snatched it into his hands frantically. “Don’t worry I saw this on the Discovery channel. I can totally suck the venom out!”   
  
“ You’re sucking WHAT?” Buck shouted from out of sight.    
  
Luz had Toye’s wrist halfway to his mouth before Jo quickly put two fingers to Luz’s forehead, halting him. “Luz….it’s not venomous. Remember?”   
  
Luz pursed his lips, “Oh right…”   
  
He dropped Toye’s wrist and coughed nervously for a moment, “Um but…you are bleeding pretty bad.”   
  
Speirs, figuring the crisis was momentarily averted, enlisted Lipton’s help and the two of them hauled Buck up and out of the hole.   
  
Buck took one look at Jo’s wrist and quickly pulled his shirt off, folded it up and rushed over to press it to his friend’s wounds. “Holy shit! What the Hell happened?”   
  
Jo winced as Buck used the shirt to apply pressure to his wrist, “Fucking snake man.”   
  
Buck frowned, “Jesus.”   
  
Lipton made his way over and inspected Toye’s wrist, “I don’t think it hit the artery but it did tear you up pretty good. We need to keep moving, the sooner we get done the sooner you two see Renee.”   
  
Speirs nodded, “He’s right. Let’s get moving. Perconte can you walk?”   
  
Perconte hopped up from the ground, “Yes sir.”   
  
They all paused and looked at him. Buck raised an eyebrow. “Sir?”   
  
Frank glared, “You were all thinking it.”   
  
The team just laughed and continued on the trail, slightly worse for wear.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Blue Trail**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Let’s run up the tree! We’ll be safe up the tree! Nice fucking strategy General Patton!” Liebgott snapped as they were forced to scramble further up the tree when the jaguar easily hopped onto the lowest branch.    
  
Skip glared, “Hey! I didn’t see any of you coming up with any great plans. And what are you worried about anyway? The jaguar’s not going to eat you, you’re too skinny.”   
  
“ I kinda like the idea of letting it eat Evans.” Babe chimed in.   
  
Evans glowered at him, “Shut up Babe.”    
  
Sobel gave him a proud smile before spotting something that made the smile drop off of his face. “Damn it Muck you had us climb a tree infested with monkeys!”   
  
Bill looked around, “Monkeys? What?”   
  
The rest of the team looked at the branch above Sobel to see about four chimpanzees staring down at them.   
  
“ A monkey? Great! Grab it and throw it at the jaguar!”   
  
They all turned their heads to stare at Malarkey, who shrunk back slightly, “It was  _ just _ a suggestion.”   
  
“ Argh! To Hell with this!” Babe snapped, “I’m getting out of this tree!”   
  
“ You’re what!?” Webster gaped.    
  
“ I’m jumping out of the tree.” Babe told him.    
  
“ Babe are you out of your damn mind?” Gene demanded, “That’s not a short drop and once you’re down there you still have a damn jaguar to worry about!”   
  
Babe shook his head, “Yeah..so? I use to run track.”   
  
“ You can’t outrun a jaguar you moron!” Bill shouted.    
  
“ I don’t care anymore! It’s better than sitting in this tree waiting to get eaten!” Babe shouted back before twisting around on the branch that was holding him.    
  
“ Babe don’t you jump!” Bill warned but Babe ignored him and slipped off the branch, falling down and hitting the ground at a roll.    
  
The jaguar turned sharply at the noise and caught Babe in its sights.    
  
“ Oh shit…” The teen slowly rose up before running off the trail and into the jungle as the jaguar turned toward him.    
  
“ Fuck,” Gene dropped out of the tree as well. The rest followed.    
  
Bill, Gene and Liebgott immediately took off for the jungle, hot on Babe’s tail…and one would assume the jaguar’s tail as well. One of the three camera men with them followed.    
  
Webster watch them all take off with a grimace, “Crap…why do I even bother?”   
  
He ran off after them.    
  
Don gaped, realizing that they were all now CHASING the jaguar they’d been hiding from. He turned to Skip, “Should we go too?”   
  
Skip frowned, “I dunno. There’s only four of us now. We have to finish the trail!”   
  
Sobel nodded as he and Evans began to move forward, “They’ll either save the kid or they’ll all die. Those are your options really.”   
  
The four of them began to continue on the trail, but Don looked back the way the others had taken off and bit his lip.    
  
He looked over at Skip. There was no reason to put Muck in danger. He hung back slightly as the rest of them walked on before turning and heading to the jungle as silently as he could.    
  
He couldn’t go on with the trail while they were out there alone!   
  
As Don strolled off into the rainforest, one of the two remaining camera men sighed and followed him. He hated his job….having to climb up trees and run around in the jungle!   
  
No wonder the intern always pissed in Nixon’s coffee.    
  
  
  
  
  


**The Red Trail**

  
  
  
  
  
“ How much time do we have left?” Toye asked as he held his injured wrist to his chest. Was it George’s imagination…or was he looking a little pale?   
  
Speirs rolled his eyes back slightly in thought, “I’d say about an hour. Maybe less.”   
  
Lipton smiled at his side, “Well at least we haven’t come across any more traps.”   
  
As soon as the words left his mouth there was a snap, a rustle of leaves and he and Speirs were swept off of their feet and up into the air inside of a large, rope net.    
  
The rest of their team gaped up at them. Speirs sighed and shot Lipton an amused look. “You just had to say it didn’t you?”   
  
Lipton shook his head as he tried to stop himself from sliding down the side of the net and into Ron’s legs, so far it wasn’t proving successful. “Sorry.”   
  
Ron gave him another small smile, which somewhat disturbed his team on the ground. “It’s okay.”   
  
However when he turned his head toward his team the smile was gone. “You guys keep going. We   
don’t have time to waste and you don’t want to push Toye and Perconte too hard. I’ll try to get us out of this.”   
  
The team nodded and turned to continue onward.    
  
“ Sorry.” Lipton apologized again as he tried to move his legs.   
  
“ Stop that. It’s not your fault.” Speirs told him and then put a hand to Lipton’s shifting legs, “And just so you know…I don’t have cooties…if that’s what you’re worried about.”   
  
Lipton paused and then relaxed, sliding slightly and letting their legs tangle together. “No..I know. Sorry.”   
  
Speirs just smiled at the blonde’s third apology. Lipton could get used to him smiling, it looked nice. Maybe not an expression that looked particularly at home on his face but nice none the less. Not that Ron didn’t always look nice…   
  
Wow when had he started thinking like that? He thought about Buck and Luz and Liebgott and all the others and what Gene had suggested. Maybe he had been right. Maybe the casting people had known something about him that he hadn’t.    
  
He looked down at his and Ron’s intertwined legs, feeling strangely comfortable. Maybe that was what he’d been afraid of? That he’d enjoy it.   
  
“ Ron,” he finally broke the silence.    
  
Ron looked over at him, “Yeah?”   
  
“ Why could you never be in the Army?”   
  
Ron let his eyes look Lipton up and down quickly before turning away. “I think you already know why.”   
  
Lipton nodded, “Yeah I guess so.”   
  
Ron didn’t turn back to look at him. “Is that a problem?”   
  
Carwood quickly shook his head. “No of course not…it’s fine. Better than fine..it’s uh..it’s good.”   
  
That caught Ron’s attention. “Good?”   
  
Lipton nodded, “Yeah…what I mean is-”   
  
Before he could finish Ron had already moved forward, grabbed Lipton’s shirt and pushed their lips together.   
  
Carwood sighed, knowing that this is the part where he should be panicking…but he wasn’t.   
  
Ron’s long fingers were cool and gentle on the back of his neck and his tongue was hot…and holy shit that was his tongue.    
  
Coherent thought wasn’t seeming possible at the moment, so Lipton shifted back to get a better angle at which to continue the most out of the blue yet wonderful kiss he’d even been a part of.    
  
Unfortunately when he shifted, it caused the net to move as well, sending Ron sliding forward and crashing full body against Lipton, the two of them tangling together in a not quite sexy manner.    
  
Speirs sighed, “We should get out of this net now.”   
  
Lipton nodded, “Probably.”   
  
“ This isn’t over.” Ron promised with a quick glance at Lipton before he grabbed the net and began to climb it slightly.    
  
Lipton smiled, “I guess I’ll take your word for it.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Somewhere WAY off the Blue Trail**

  
  
  
  
  
Babe hadn’t been exaggerating when he’s insinuated that he was fast. This wasn’t the first time he’d run for his life. It was just the first time he’d run for his life from a fucking jaguar.    
  
Gene, for his part, was having a hard time keeping up. All he could see were flashes of Babe’s red hair as he tore through the jungle and a blur of spots as the jaguar followed him at a leisurely pace.    
  
He swore as he lost sight of them. Why did Babe have to be so fucking reckless? Damn kid actually thought he could out run a jaguar!? Even Gene wouldn’t be able to patch him up if that cat got hold of him.    
  
Finally there was someone at his side and Gene turned to see the crew’s youngest camera man, a twenty year old with spiky brown hair and a sweet face. What did they call him? Skinny?    
  
“ Here.” The kid thrust the camera into Gene’s hands and untangled himself from various wires. “Winters gave us tranquilizers just in case. I’ll see if I can get him.”   
  
Once he was free of all his burden, Skinny kicked his running up a notch and blew past Gene, pulling out a small tranquilizer gun.    
  
Gene struggled with the camera, not used to running with anything heavier than a first aid kit and had to stop.    
  
He heard a sharp click and was about to toss the camera down but instead decided to see how far he could see through the lens.   
  
He focused the camera in and saw Skinny’s back in the distance, his shoulders moving up and down heavily as if he were gasping for air. Then he bent down and Gene sighed in relief when he came back up with Babe, one of the red head’s arms draped around his shoulders.    
  
The camera was still recording when someone slammed into his back. He spun around to see a heavily breathing Don.    
  
“ Did you find him?” Malarkey asked.    
  
Just then Skinny came over with the now slightly limping Babe. Gene thrust the camera back into his hands and took Babe away from him. He helped the teen sit to the ground.    
  
“ Babe are you okay?” he asked, grabbing the ankle of the leg he’d been easing off of. He grimaced when he saw what looked like claw marks oozing blood.    
  
“ Yeah,” Babe winced, “Basically. Damn cat had just swiped my leg when Skinny popped it with that tranq. Thanks again man, you saved my fucking life. What the hell are you doing behind a camera anyway?”   
  
Skinny shrugged, “Being the person willing to run and film a bunch of crazy people apparently. You can’t talk to me anymore now or else we’ll have to cut all the footage.”   
  
Babe nodded, “Right. Thanks for coming to my rescue anyway.”   
  
Gene frowned, “You wouldn’t have needed no goddamn rescuing if you’d stayed in the tree.”   
  
“ Yeah…or we all would have gotten hurt. At least I provided a distraction. It was an acceptable risk.”   
  
Gene wiped the blood from Babe’s leg, “Yeah? Well I disagree. Thank God you aren’t dead.”   
  
Babe frowned, “Well thank God you aren’t dead either.”   
  
Gene glared up at him and the two stared at each other for a long moment before Babe looked away. Gene sighed and propped Babe’s leg on his knee. “You might need stitches but you should be able to walk once we get it fixed up.”   
  
He stood and offered Babe his not bloody hand. Babe took it, still not looking happy. Gene sighed and angled his body so that he was cutting off their conversation from Skinny and Don. “Look I’m sorry I’m freaking out on you right now. I can’t even guarantee that I’ll ever stop. I just do NOT want to see you get hurt. Okay Babe?”    
  
Babe nodded looking away, “Yeah..fine, whatever." Then he sighed and met Gene's gaze. "I mean I get it Gene. I’m sorry.”   
  
That was when Bill and Liebgott showed up, Webster on their heels.    
  
“ Kid you okay?” Joe asked.    
  
Babe nodded, “Yeah I’ll be fine.”   
  
Gene pulled one of his arms across his shoulders and motioned for Bill to get the other one.    
  
David looked over at Don, “Where did you come from?”   
  
Malarkey looked around, “Uh…the trail? That way I guess.”   
  
Liebgott nodded approvingly, “Just you?”   
  
“ I think so.” Don shrugged.   
  
Bill and Joe shared a look that Webster couldn’t read. That is until Joe slapped Don on the back and said, “Good…I’ll remember that.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The End of the Trails**

  
  
  
  
  
“ How much time do they have?” Dick asked as he noticed that no one had crossed yet.    
  
“ Bout 15 minutes I think.” Nixon answered.    
  
Just then Sobel, Evans and Skip came out of the jungle and past the finish line that had been set up to receive them.    
  
“ I can’t believe he took off when I wasn’t looking!” Skip was shouting.   
  
“ I’m sure he’ll be okay.” Evans attempted to reassure him.    
  
Nixon leaned forward, intrigued. “Where’s the rest of your team?”   
  
“ Off getting eaten by a jaguar.” Sobel deadpanned.    
  
Dick let his shoulders slump, “Oh for goodness sake.”   
  
Suddenly there was a considerable amount of chatter coming from the Red trail as Buck came into sight with Perconte on his back and Toye following while leaning slightly on Luz and Penkala.    
  
Dick took notice of their injured and immediately rushed over to help. While he was situating them and having Renee come and look at Toye’s wrist, Lipton and Speirs came across the finish line as well.    
  
Perconte gaped, “How the Hell did you two get out of that net?”   
  
Nixon brightened, “You guys got caught in the net? Sweet!”   
  
Speirs shrugged, “My dad was a Navy Seal…I know how to get out of a few knots.”   
  
They all turned to look at the blue trail.    
  
Nixon addressed Sobel. “All of your team has to cross the finish line within the next ten minutes or else the Red team wins.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Ten Minutes Later**

  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So the Red team wins.” Nixon announced as there was still no sign of the remaining Blue team.    
  
“ Hell yeah!” Luz shouted and pumped a fist in the air. “Knew we had one coming.”   
  
Toye sighed and rubbed his heavily bandaged wrist, “Thank God…I don’t think I could take another arena right after than fucking snake used me as a chew toy.”   
  
“ Haha…Chew Toye!” Penkala laughed. The others just rolled their eyes. “Aww come on that was funny! Right Skip?”   
  
But Muck was still staring at the Blue trail intently and was definitely not paying attention.    
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Thirty Minutes Later**

  
  
  
  
“ Hey guys!”    
  
All the assembled contestants and crew jumped as a voice startled them from behind. Everyone tore their gazes away from the Blue trail to turn and see the remaining blue team and the one camera man Skinny Sisk assembled together.    
  
Renee immediately rushed over upon noticing Babe’s bleeding leg.    
  
“ Way to go!” Sobel snapped at them, “We just lost the challenge.”   
  
“ Hey why don’t you kiss my ass chickenshit! While you were worrying about the challenge we were trying to make sure Babe didn’t get killed by a fucking jaguar!” Liebgott went off.   
  
“ See I knew I had to worry about jaguars!” Lewis whispered to Dick.    
  
Bill, now free of his Babe burden, went over to check on Toye. He looked at his bandaged wrist and pale complexion. “What the Hell happened to you?”   
  
“ Nothing you need to worry about. Why don’t you go check on Babe?” Luz snapped at him with a glare.    
  
Buck, Bill and Jo all just stared at him. With a huff Luz got off the ground next to Toye and went to see Frank.    
  
Bill watched him go, “What the Hell is his problem?”   
  
Toye shook his head. “Damned if I know. I, on the other hand, got bit by a snake.”   
  
“ A snake? Shit.”   
  
“ What are you shitting for?” Jo asked with a smirk. “A fucking  _ jaguar _ ? I can’t wait to hear that.”   
  
Buck listened to their babble, unfortunately knowing exactly what was wrong with Luz. He guessed Speirs had been right. It didn’t matter how Toye felt…Buck couldn’t control Luz’s feelings. And Luz definitely had feelings for Jo.   
  
“ All injuries aside!” Nixon hollered, “I expect to see the Blue team at the beach in two hours!”   
  
The host paused before looking over at Skinny. “Hey…wasn’t there another camera man with you guys?”   
  
  
  
  
  


**Somewhere in the Jungle**

  
  
“ Umm hello? Skinny? Anybody out here?”   
  
Yep….Walter “Smokey” Gordon realllly hated his job.    
  


 

 

 

 

 

  
  
  
**A/N:** I’ll laugh my ass off if anyone knows where the argument “ _ So is your face _ always makes sense” comes from.

 


	11. Eat It or Beat It

**Disclaimer:** I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and  **not the actual soldiers** . Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!   
  
  
**A/N:** I just want to say that as a vegetarian…this was a hard chapter to write. It probably won’t be that gross to read but the research was just…ewww.   
  
  
  
  
  
Malarkey finally found what he was looking for when he stumbled upon Bill and Joe huddled in secrecy near one another and whispering furiously. He walked up to them nervously.    
  
“ So...uh, you guys are voting for Sobel right?” he asked them, drawing their attention to him and away from their intense discussion.    
  
They exchanged a tentative look before Bill nodded, “Yeah, we are. Maybe you can get Skip to vote that way too?”   
  
Don just raised an eyebrow, “Um…I can try?”   
  
Joe smirked, “You do that.”   
  
A little confused, and not sure why everyone always assumed he could persuade Skip of things, he went off to find his blonde friend.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Bill and Joe watched him go before turning back to their discussion. Bill was the first to speak up.    
  
“ Why do you want to vote for Skip again?”   
  
“ Because he didn’t even try to help us find Babe!” Joe argued.    
  
“ Neither did Sobel…plus you  _ know _ he’s a prick.”   
  
“ Yeah. We do  _ know _ that. We can anticipate him. But how do we know we can trust Skip? I expect Sobel to think about himself, and about a win. But Skip? C’mon- what the Hell was that?”   
  
Bill looked thoughtful for a moment. “Why don’t we talk to Babe about it?”   
  
Joe rolled his eyes. “That kid will never vote for Skip.”   
  
“ He voted for Shifty, he told me. Not that he was particularly proud of himself.” Bill informed him.    
  
“ You serious? Huh…guess the kid  _ can _ play the game when he wants to.”   
  
Bill nodded. “So let’s go talk to him.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ I don’t think so.” Babe frowned at his two friends as they pitched their idea to him.    
  
Liebgott just fell backwards in frustration and rolled his eyes at Bill. “Told you so.”   
  
Bill ignored him and addressed the teen in front of him. “Babe, why not? I mean at least we know what we’re dealing with when it comes to Sobel.”   
  
Babe nodded, “True, but Skip didn’t do anything wrong.”   
  
Joe sat back up quickly, “What are you talking about? He just walked off and left us all for jaguar food!”   
  
“ Yeah, but can you blame him for that? I mean he’s not the one that blew the challenge for us.” Babe pointed out.    
  
“ Kid we kind of ALL blew it.” Bill noted.    
  
Babe shook his head, “No we all didn’t. I did. You all were just trying to help. I don’t blame Skip for not coming after me and neither should you guys.”   
  
Sobel walked by to snidely inform them that they needed to go to the beach to vote now. Joe gave him the finger and turned his attention back to Babe.    
  
“ Well then who are  _ you _ going to vote for?” he asked.    
  
Babe stood up with a tiny sigh. “The person that screwed up the challenge.”   
  
That said he started to walk away. Bill and Joe looked at each other for a moment.    
  
“ But he said that he screwed up the…”Joe started but trailed off.   
  
Finally understanding they hopped up and went after him.    
  
“ Babe, don’t be stupid!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**At the Beach**

  
  
  
  
  
Winters frowned as he read over the votes. This was….surprising to say the least. He almost couldn’t believe it.    
  
Nixon watched the small crease form between Dick’s eyebrows that indicated he was distressed and was torn between his desire to kiss it away and his desire to tackle Dick to the ground and force him to show Nixon the tally of votes.    
  
Oddly enough, he felt the second option would cause fewer problems.   
  
The contestants just stared as Nixon pounced on Winters and the two went flying to the ground.    
  
Bill shook his head, “That man needs to be institutionalized.”   
  
Winters just sighed, “Lew, get off of me.”   
  
Nixon just snatched the tally out of his hands and looked it over before gaping down at Dick, whom he was sitting on top of. “You’re freaking kidding me. Really?”   
  
Dick just pursed his lips and nodded. “Yes. Now do you mind? I’m getting sand up my shirt.”   
  
“ You know you wouldn’t have that problem if you didn’t wear a shirt.” Nixon pointed out.    
  
“ What?”   
  
“ Nothing.” The host scrambled up and held his hand out to help Dick to his feet. “Can I announce it?”   
  
“ By all means.” Dick said, shaking his shirt to rid it of sand.    
  
Nixon twisted around to face the contestants. “In a surprising turn of events, the two people who received the most votes from their teammates and will thus be participating in tomorrow’s arena challenge are…Babe and Skip!”   
  
Everybody just stared.   
  
Gene spoke up, “Wait…are you sure?”   
  
However, Babe just elbowed him lightly, “It’s fine.”   
  
Don looked confused as well, “What the Hell?”   
  
Nixon just shrugged and left them all to draw their own conclusions.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
As soon as they were all back in the house, Don went up to Bill and Joe. “Did you guys really vote for Sobel?”   
  
Joe frowned, “I said we would, didn’t I?”   
  
Don nodded. “Okay…then how could Skip have gotten four out of the remaining six votes?”   
  
Joe shrugged, “Maybe Sobel voted for him. His vote counts twice, remember?”   
  
Not entirely convinced, Don sought out Sobel, who was talking with Evans.    
  
“ Um Sobel?” he called to get his attention.    
  
The dark-haired man turned to look at him, somewhat surprised that he was being spoken to. “Malarkey. Can I help you?”   
  
Don shrugged, “Um…I was just wondering…who you guys voted for?”   
  
Sobel frowned. Normally he wouldn’t share that information with just anyone…but if Malarkey was actually asking then he obviously thought that Sobel had voted for Skip. Well wouldn’t he be surprised?   
  
“ We voted for Babe.” He informed the red-head.    
  
Don gaped, “Really?”   
  
Sobel nodded, “Why would we vote for Skip? He was the only other person to complete the challenge. Babe was the one who lost it for us.”   
  
Don sighed, “Okay thanks.”   
  
He turned and left his team captain behind to go and find Skip. If what Sobel said was true (and it made perfect sense) then Bill and Joe must have voted for Skip. He knew that neither of them would ever vote for Babe. But why would Bill and Joe lie to him?    
  
He liked them both just fine…but if Skip went home tomorrow? Then they might have some problems.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lipton wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. He was going to die.    
  
With what most people would call anger, but Lipton viewed as mild irritation, he got out of his chair in the kitchen where he’d been eating and walked out into the living room.    
  
He marched up to where all of his team, save Alex and Ron, were lounging and smoking. “Guys I’m sorry but could you  _ please _ not smoke in here? I really don’t think I can handle much more of it. I’m in the kitchen and I can hardly breathe.”   
  
Toye nodded and quickly licked his finger and put out his cigarette, “Sorry man. I forget sometimes that everyone don’t smoke.”   
  
The others weren’t immediately moved to action, but then something behind Lipton caught Perco’s eye and he too snuffed out his cigarette.    
  
Standing up quickly, Frank motioned to the rest of them. “Maybe we should smoke outside, huh guys?”   
  
The others nodded quickly and they all retreated towards the pool. Lipton watched their hasty exit in confusion. Had he been too harsh?   
  
Turning around to go back to the kitchen, he jerked to a stop when he almost ran into Ron, who had been standing right behind him.    
  
He sighed, “How long were you standing there?”   
  
Speirs merely shrugged, “Not as long as you.”   
  
Lipton just smiled and walked past him and back to his dinner. “Well thanks for scaring them off I guess.”   
  
Ron looked like he was about to protest that point but Carwood just gave him a look. Finally the red captain nodded. “Anytime.”   
  
The dark-haired man wanted to say more, but wasn’t sure where to start. Carwood didn’t seem uncomfortable to him. In fact, he seem rather relaxed in Ron’s presence. So the captain merely sat down across from him and watched the blonde man eat.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Gene sat next to the pool, watching as everyone laughed and had a good time. He couldn’t believe this. He should have just voted for Sobel. But Webster had convinced him to vote for Skip, for not helping them go after Babe. Although he figured that Webster was only voting that way because Joe told him to. Seeing as Liebgott was still upset that Webster had voted for Shifty, he was also still able to guilt David into certain things.    
  
As Gene worried about the outcome of their voting session, he felt someone plop down in the chair next to him. “You look stressed out.”   
  
Gene turned to see Babe looking at him with a small smile. Gene smiled back in spite of his bad mood. “Just worried about tomorrow.”   
  
Babe laughed. “You don’t worry about tomorrow. Let  _ me _ worry about tomorrow.”   
  
With a nod, Gene shifted forward on his seat and glanced at Babe’s relaxed posture. “You don’t seem to be worried at all.”   
  
Babe nodded. “That’s right. Now…neither of us has to be worried. What’s the point in stressing over it anyway?”   
  
Gene laughed, “You were more worried when you sent Shifty to the arena.”   
  
“ That was different though. That time I sent someone else there, this time it’s just me.”   
  
Gene frowned, “Wait…you’re not saying you voted for yourself?”   
  
Babe shrugged, “Who else was I going to vote for? Skip? Sobel? What did they do wrong?”   
  
Gene stared at him, unable to comprehend why Babe would vote for himself.   
  
The younger man caught him staring and laughed. “What?”   
  
Gene just shook his head. “You just continue to throw me off is all.”   
  
“ Is that a good thing?” Babe asked, a nervous smile on his face.    
  
With a laugh, Gene leaned back into his lawn chair. “Yeah it is.”   
  
Babe nodded. “Hey you know what we should do?”   
  
Gene shrugged, “What?”   
  
“ We should go swimming.”    
  
“ The pool’s right there.” Gene pointed out.    
  
Babe shook his head as he stood up. “No...I mean  _ really _ go swimming. In the ocean.”   
  
He reached over and grabbed Gene’s wrist, pulling him up and out of his chair.    
  
“ I don’t have my swim suit on!” Gene protested as Babe began to drag him away from the house and back down the trail that lead to the beach.    
  
“ Don’t worry. You’re not going to need it!”   
  
Gene didn’t let that sink in until they got down to the beach. It was dark and he thanked the moon for being so bright that night.    
  
The moonlight glared off the water and he could see Babe grin at him before he let go of his wrist. “Come on.”   
  
He was about to ask how he was supposed to go swimming in jeans when Babe pulled his shirt off and threw it to the side.    
  
The teen was already shoeless and had his feet in the ocean waters, the small waves covering his ankles. His hands went to the button on his cargo shorts.    
  
He must have seen Gene staring at him because he laughed as he pulled his shorts down. “What’s the matter Gene? Never been skinny dipping before?”   
  
“ No…Babe are you drunk?”   
  
Babe just laughed, wearing nothing but his boxers, which was something that they had all seen at this point.    
  
“ Nope.” He replied and then splashed some water on Gene, who just smiled at him   
  
He stripped off his boxers and threw them off near his shirt. Even though it was dark the moonlight hit the top of Babe’s head and made his hair, his body and his smile shine in the nighttime.    
  
He turned away and was immersed in the ocean as Gene gaped, somewhat stunned by the whole situation. Gene looked around and didn’t  _ see _ any cameras. He quickly kicked off his sneakers and took off his shirt. Shimmying out of his pants he paused when it come to his boxers.    
  
Babe poked his head above the water and shouted, “Hey! You saw me naked!”   
  
Gene blushed and nodded, “Yes. Yes I did.”   
  
“ Get in the water and you can do more than see.” Babe promised before ducking back under the waves.    
  
That was all the incentive Gene needed to quickly shove his boxers down and dive into the cool water. He couldn’t  _ believe _ he was doing this. He swam over to where he saw Babe resurfacing again.    
  
The teen grinned at him, “Hey.”   
  
Gene shook his head. “I can’t believe you got me to go skinny dipping.”   
  
Babe smirked, “I’m not throwing you off again am I?”   
  
Gene laughed loudly and was almost shocked to hear the sound coming from him. Babe was just    
looking at him. No smirk, just wide eyes and a sweet expression.    
  
“ What?” he questioned the teen, confused by the look on his face.    
  
“ You look really happy.” Babe noted.    
  
Gene smiled in confusion and looked out over the ocean that they were carelessly drifting in. “I guess that’s because I am.”   
  
When he turned back to look at Babe, the teen swam up to him, put a wet hand behind Gene’s head and kissed him. It had been a while since Gene had been kissed, much less by someone he really liked, and when the kiss was over he was left somewhat dazed.    
  
He smiled at Babe, his hands now resting on the teen’s shoulders, “I think you’re what makes me happy.”   
  
Babe laughed, “Your hair is sticking up funny in the back.”   
  
Gene just rolled his eyes and dunked the teen under the water.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ I can’t believe this happened!” Alex pouted as he floated past Skip and Don in the pool.    
  
Having been relaxing at the house while they were off voting, he had already snagged one of the few inflatable pool chairs.    
  
Luz was currently occupying the other while he chatted with Buck and glared at where Bill and Jo set a ways away sipping beers.    
  
Skip nodded, looking rather like a kicked puppy. Don hated how this whole thing had gone down.    
  
“ Yeah I didn’t think anyone would actually vote for me. Or Babe for that matter.” Skip pointed out.    
  
Alex leaned forward, “Actually- I heard Babe voted for himself.”   
  
Don gaped, “What? No way! Who told you that?”   
  
Leaning back Alex grinned, “Toye. Bill told him about it.”   
  
Skip snorted, “Speaking of Toye and Bill, get a load of the stink eye Luz is sending their way.”   
  
They all turned to see and sure enough, in between his playful chatter and sharing a cigarette with Buck, Luz was sending the two men in question a look far too ugly to be on his otherwise constantly cheerful face.   
  
Alex sighed, “Yeah that’s going to get ugly. It’s going to totally screw up our team too!”   
  
Don rolled his eyes. “You think  _ your _ team has issues? Liebgott is a ticking time bomb. I don’t know who he’s going to kill first- Sobel, Webster, or that poor intern that hasn’t got the common sense to stop hitting on him.”   
  
“ Yeah and speaking of Sobel- could we get a more incompetent captain? At least you guys have Speirs!” Skip added.    
  
Penkala shrugged, “I still say our fallout will be bigger.”   
  
“ Yeah we’ll see about that.” Don laughed.    
  
“ Maybe..” Skip looked down, obviously concerned that he wouldn’t.    
  
Alex reached over and flicked his ear. “Hey! Come on? Not that Babe isn’t cool and all but he isn’t exactly your best player. You should be able to beat him.”   
  
Skip just shrugged. Penkala rolled his eyes before sliding off of his float and into the pool. “Damn I need another drink. Skip here- you can take over my throne and be King of the Worrywarts.”   
  
He nudged the float towards Skip and swam off. Once Skip was comfortably settled into it, Don playfully flicked water up at him.    
  
He frowned when Skip failed to react. “You don’t honestly think you’ll lose do you?”   
  
His friend shrugged, “I dunno. Anything’s possible.”   
  
Don nodded. “It would really suck if you went home, you know. It wouldn’t be the same here without you.”   
  
Skip looked at him, “You know Don if I do lose..”   
  
“ You won’t.” Don interrupted.    
  
“ Yeah, yeah.” Skip waved his assurance off. “But if I do. I just want you to know that you’re….”   
  
Don laughed, “I’m what?”   
  
Skip wanted to tell him that he thought he was amazing, and fun and hot and totally perfect for Skip. Instead he just said, “You’re not getting out of hanging with me that’s what! You don’t make elaborate plans to go skydiving with someone and then back out!”   
  
Penkala returned with his drink. “God you’re not talking about skydiving again are you?”   
  
Skip jerked his thumb at Don. “He said I wouldn’t do it! You were there! He bet me $50 dollars that I would not jump out of an airplane!”   
  
“ Like I said- he’ll do anything for money.”   
  
“ Excuse me-the only way that I  _ ever _ agreed to go skydiving was if I was wasted!”   
  
“ You are not backing out of this!”   
  
“ You realize he’s afraid of heights, don’t you Skip?”   
  
“ Um afraid is a bit harsh.”   
  
“ What? I heard all about you during that challenge! That you were all  ‘ _ Skip! Don’t let me fall!’ _ ”   
  
“ I was NOT!”   
  
“ Hahaha you kinda were.”   
  
“ Shut up! I hate you both!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Webster thought it was a little odd that he couldn’t find Joe anywhere. Normally he could find him with Bill or Babe, but Bill was with Toye and had told him that Joe had given him the slip a while ago. David would have been concerned that Babe was also missing but Toye had smirked and told him to relax, that Babe was with Gene.    
  
So now, with Webster’s curious nature being what it was (especially where Liebgott was concerned), he was walking up and down the upstairs hallways wondering where the other man had gotten to. At the end of the hallway, away from where the bedrooms were located, the crew had furnished what had before been an empty room with furniture and a telephone.    
  
He saw the camera man before he heard the voice. He walked over to the man quietly, leaning on the wall next to the room’s glass doors so that he wouldn’t be spotted by the room’s occupant.    
  
“ Is Joe in there?” he asked the camera man who, on further inspection, was Walter Gordon. Although the crew referred to him as Smokey, not that David knew why.    
  
The camera man in question just glared at him. It seemed he still hated the blue team. It turned out that they had led him out into the jungle on their wild chase after Babe and he had wandered around lost for a couple of hours before Winters had finally corralled Nixon into organizing a search.    
  
The glare that Gordon sent him was coupled by a quick, “Shh!”, as he was obviously attempting to tape what was being said in the room.    
  
Webster sighed and just leaned his head closer towards the door to hear the conversation inside.   
  
“ Don’t tell me what I did! I  _ know _ what I did.” That was definitely Joe’s voice. But he seemed to be not his usually brand of feisty. Instead he seemed on edge and his speech was curt.    
  
“ Look you need to just stay out of it. I don’t know why you’re getting involved anyway- I can handle it.” Joe hissed to whomever he was speaking to. David wished he could hear what the other person was saying but knew that he wouldn’t find that out until the show aired, or until Liebgott told him. So…basically not until the show aired.    
  
“ No I’m not going to tell you where I am. I’m out of town, that’s all you need to know.” Joe replied harshly to whatever inquiry had been posed. “What do you mean ‘why not’? Because the last thing I need is one of his asshole friends looking for me that’s why!”   
  
Joe became silent for a moment and then let out a huff. “Yeah well that’s what he gets for screwing with me. Fuck him and his retarded family. I’m serious. And you stay the Hell away from them. If they ask you where I am you tell them you don’t know. It’s the truth.”   
  
More silence, then a loud crash as Joe possibly kicked something. The wince on Gordon’s face indicated that he had.    
  
“ STOP FUCKING SAYING THAT!” Joe screamed. “I don’t need you fucking telling me I have a problem. I KNOW I have a problem. I’ll fucking handle it. Fuck your cousin! I don’t want his fucking help. I’ve got it under control!”   
  
The shouting on the other end of the phone must have been loud because Webster could hear a muffled voice on his side of the wall. He frowned, not sure what to make of it all.    
  
  
  
  
  
On the other side of the wall, in the room, Joe was listening to his best (and only if he were honest) friend, Edward Tipper, make him feel like shit.    
  
“ _ Joe, I’m serious. Does anyone over there know what you’re into? You said it was some reality show thing right? How do you know they won’t bust you the moment they find out?” _   
  
Joe slumped back down into the armchair next to the telephone. Maybe calling Tipper had been a mistake. His friend was simply pointing out all the reasons that Joe was a total dumbass. “Because they care too much about making the show entertaining. They’re going to listen to the tape of this conversation anyway, so be as vague as possible. They can’t  _ make _ me tell them anything,”   
  
He heard Eddie sigh. Finally his friend asked the question that Joe had hoped he wouldn’t.  “ _ Okay. So…how much do you have left?” _   
  
Joe put one hand over his eyes and sighed, “I dunno…about a week’s worth?”   
  
“ _ What are you going to do when it runs out? _ ”   
  
The hand over his eyes moved up and gripped his hair tightly. “I don’t know. I’ll stretch it out though. It’ll be okay. I’ll handle it.”   
  
“ _ Yeah you keep saying that. Look Joe, just come home. My cousin is an expert with this kind of thing. He’ll get you cle- uh fixed up. I’ll talk to this Dike guy and we’ll figure something out.” _   
  
Joe jerked out of his stupor, “Shut up about your cousin okay. And I already told you to stay away from them! They are not kidding around. Just because Norm is a screw-up doesn’t mean that the rest of his family is so incompetent. He has connections, okay? Just…look. Please, please,  _ please _ don’t get involved. I swear- if I need your help, I’ll ask for it.”   
  
“ _ Bullshit. But I can’t do anything about it. By the way, seeing as I now have this number on my phone, expect me to call and check in on you.” _   
  
Joe frowned, thinking for the second time that he hated having friends who worried about him. He expressed the sentiment to Tipper.    
  
“ _ I’m pretty sure that I’m the only friend you have. No offense.” _   
  
“ Yeah well some of the guys here have got it in their heads that they’re my friends too. They’re like…force feeding me and shit.” Joe mumbled.    
  
Tipper laughed.  “ _ Well good. I approve. Seriously though Joe. Just be careful. If you run out, it’s going to really suck.” _   
  
Liebgott sighed. “Yeah. Yeah I know.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
That morning Gene woke up in his now wet clothes, on the beach, tangled up in the long and pale limbs of a red headed teenager who was somehow, though they barely knew one another, turning Gene’s world upside down.    
  
Their legs were both stretched out and hooked together at the knees and the ocean waves tickled at their bare feet. Gene propped himself up on his right elbow and stared down at Babe’s sleeping face.    
  
Babe looked oddly serious when he slept. Not worried or old, just somewhat serious and for a moment Gene worried that he might be having a bad dream.    
  
So he rolled over until he was laying above the teen with his arms braced on either side of Babe’s head and, morning breath be damned, leant down to kiss him awake.    
  
The moment was perfect. Babe didn’t jerk awake or gasp, merely sighed and opened his mouth, though not his eyes, to return Gene’s kiss.    
  
Gene lightly ran his tongue on Babe’s lower lip before he pulled back. “Morning.”   
  
Babe’s eyes fluttered open and they stared at one another for a minute before the teen cracked a smile. “Good morning to you too.”   
  
Gene looked down at Babe’s chest, “I think you’re wearing my shirt.”   
  
Babe eyed the shirt, “Huh, I think you’re right. Now everyone is going to think we had beach sex.”   
  
“ If they thought that, they’d all be out here bothering us right now.”   
  
“ We should have totally had beach sex.”   
  
Gene laughed softly and traced a pattern in the sand next to Babe’s head as the teen closed his eyes briefly.    
  
“ It’s a really nice morning.” Babe finally said.   
  
Gene rolled back to the side, off of the teen, and Babe turned his head to smile at him. It must have been fairly early, because the sun was just coming up and the morning light made everything seem soft and dream like.    
  
Babe let his left hand wander across the small space separating them until it found Gene’s right and they allowed their fingers to tangle up in a similar fashion as their legs.    
  
Gene stared back at him and rubbed a circle on the teen’s hand with his thumb.    
  
“ It is a really nice morning.” He agreed. “Let’s just stay out here for a while, okay?”   
  
Babe nodded and let his eyes close once more. Gene watched, not ready to move and not ready to risk Babe leaving, not when they’d just discovered what it could be like.   
  
What they could be like.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Jo! Jo wake up.” Bill whispered as he flicked at Toye’s sock covered foot that had somehow escaped the covers of his bed.    
  
He glanced nervously over at the other beds in the room. Perco was out like a light, likely due to the large amount of beer Luz had poured down his throat the night before.    
  
Speaking of Luz, the small man had somehow made his way over into Buck’s bed and Bill took a moment to be irritated with him. Didn’t he realize how much Jo liked him? Did he really have to be all over Buck in the confines of a room he shared with two other people?   
  
He finally gave up flicking Jo’s foot and moved slightly higher and pinched his leg.    
  
Apparently he pinched a little too hard because Jo jerked up with a loud, “FUCK!”   
  
Buck shifted slightly, Perco snored on and Luz rolled back so quickly that he fell out of Buck’s bed with a thud.    
  
Jo glared blearily up at Bill. “Um what the Hell man? What time is it?”   
  
Luz popped up off the floor, obviously disorientated. “What’s going on? Is it time to go?”   
  
Bill shook his head. “No. Jo get up- we’re going on a run.”   
  
“ We are?” Jo asked even as he was already moving out from under his covers.   
  
“ Yeah. Renee said you needed to keep your knee in use. You need to get it back into shape. So let’s go.”   
  
As he pulled on his sneakers, Jo shook his head. “That doesn’t make much sense but I’m way too tired to argue with you. So whatever.”   
  
Luz watched them go in confusion before hopping up and running out of the room, the commotion managed to stir Buck awake and he followed him.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Webster, wake up!”    
  
David groaned as he was shook awake. He blinked his eyes open to see Luz standing above him. “God, what could you possibly want right now Luz?”   
  
“ I heard you say you had binoculars?” Luz asked.   
  
Buck poked his head inside the room, “What do you need binoculars for?”   
  
“ Um yeah, to look at wildlife on the boat ride over here.” David answered, slowly sitting up.    
  
“ Can I borrow them?” Luz asked.    
  
David shrugged, “Sure.”   
  
He rolled out of bed and stooped down to get them out of his suitcase. Once he handed them to Luz the tiny brunette bounded out of his room in a hurry.    
  
Webster stared at Buck, who shook his head.    
  
“ I don’t really know.” The blonde informed him.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz apparently had caused quite the racket, because Webster wasn’t the only one who had decided not to go back to sleep and there were people gathering in the living room.    
  
Lipton was starting a pot of coffee when David came down the stairs. He gave Webster a curious look and jerked his head out towards the pool where Luz was perched on the stone fence and looking through the binoculars. “What’s he up to?”   
  
David shrugged. “I’m not really sure.”   
  
“ We should find out!” Skip announced from the living room, Don and Alex with him. They took off outside and David thought ‘What the Hell?’ and followed them.    
  
Skip bounced up to crouch next to Luz on the fence. “Tell me what you see.”   
  
Luz frowned, “Right now I can’t see anything because they stopped behind a goddamn rock!”   
  
“ Who exactly?” Alex asked before letting out a yawn.    
  
“ Bill and Jo.” Buck answered in an irritated tone from where he was sitting in a lawn chair. “They went for a run and Luz took it upon himself to spy on them.”   
  
Skip grinned, “Maybe they stopped to make out?”   
  
Don laughed, knowing that was highly unlikely as Bill was straight and that Skip was just trying to rile Luz up. He was such an instigator.   
  
“ Damn it! I knew it!” Luz cursed moving his head around and leading the binoculars every which way. “And they probably- whoa! What do we have here?”   
  
“ What the Hell are you all doing?”   
  
Webster turned around to see Joe standing there barefoot in his boxers and a hoodie. His hair was tousled and he’d obviously just woken up.   
  
“ Well it appears we are spying on people.” David answered him.    
  
“ Who?”   
  
“ Right now Babe and Doc.” Luz called back to them. “They’re on the beach macking on each other!”   
  
He put the binoculars down and pointed them out. All the spectators crowded next to Luz and looked. Sure enough the two blue contestants in question were lying next to one another on the beach and appeared to be kissing.    
  
Skip and Luz stood up and began to shout.   
  
“ GET A ROOM!”   
  
“ I KNEW YOU CRAZY KIDS WOULD GET IT TOGETHER!”   
  
They all, Joe included, yelled out a collective “AWWWW!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Amidst the embarrassing shouts of their fellow contestants, Gene buried his head in Babe’s shoulder.    
  
“ I hate them.”   
  
“ Yeah me too. Guess that’s our cue to get our asses in gear. Can’t put it off anymore.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**In the Arena**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Well good MORNING everyone!” Nixon called to them all cheerfully, cup of coffee in his hand. Which he had double checked to make sure Talbert hadn’t pissed in. He didn’t trust that twerp.   
  
“ You all look tired.” He commentated on seeing the sleepy faces of all the contestants. Usually they all slept late since the arena challenge didn’t take place until noon. “And seeing as how I watch the monitors I know why. I gotta say Luz I didn’t realize you were so voyeuristic.”   
  
Toye made a face and gave Luz a curious look, “What?”   
  
Luz pulled out his most innocent expression and shrugged. “Who knows what Nixon’s ever talking about?”   
  
Buck just sighed from the other side of Luz.   
  
Nixon downed his coffee and tossed the cup at Talbert’s head. “Let’s get this show on the road shall we? I feel like this has been a longer morning than usual and it’s taken us some time to get to this point. Huh. Anyway you know the drill. Yesterday the blue team lost the challenge and had to vote for two of their teammates to compete one-on-one in the arena. Babe and Skip, please come down.”   
  
The two navigated their way to the bottom of the bleachers. Skip clapped Babe on the back. “This has been fun up till now, right?”   
  
Babe grinned. “Yep. Let’s get it over with huh?”   
  
“ Certainly.” Nixon interrupted. “I’m particularly excited about today’s arena challenge. We were supposed to use it yesterday with Toye and Blithe but Blithe had to be a little cry baby quitter and-”   
  
“ Nix!” That would be the familiar sound of Winters admonishing Nixon’s bad behavior…again.    
  
“ Right. Anyway, this is especially fun because we have found a way to possibly force you guys to eat ridiculous stuff on a semi-regular schedule. The title of today’s arena challenge is ‘Play or Puke’. Which I really only did so that I could have the word puke in there.   
In this challenge you’ll be playing a game. Now the game won’t always be the same but the overall outcome will be. This time the game will seem quite familiar I’d presume because you’re going to be playing pool!”   
  
Skip dared to sound optimistic. “That doesn’t seem so bad.”   
  
“ But wait!” Nixon swung an arm out towards the currently empty arena and a pool table was wheeled out by the crew, along with another less recognizable table. “This is no ordinary game of pool. In this game- there are consequences. Disgusting, icky consequences. Gentlemen approach the pool table.”   
  
The two did so cautiously. Only then did they notice that on the other table there appeared to be a variety of drinks and what they assumed passed as food, each with a number attached.    
  
“ Oh this is going to suck.” Skip noted as he eyed the collection of edibles.    
  
Nixon just grinned, “You have no idea. Now here’s how this is going to go down. We have a variety of hard to get down concoctions spread out on this table. The pool game is going to be played just as it normally would. However, every time your opponent sinks one of their balls- you then have to consume the food that matches the number of that billiard ball. If you refuse to eat something, you lose. If you throw up, you lose. If you both by some miracle stick it out- then whoever sinks the 8 ball first is the winner. Any questions?”   
  
Babe raised his hand, “Why do you hate us?”   
  
Nixon shrugged, “Don’t take it personally, I genuinely only like 2 people. And I’m one of them. Now get to playing!”   
  
  
  
  
  
The other contestants just made disgusted faces from the bleachers.   
  
“ That’s just nasty.” Toye noted.   
  
Buck nodded in agreement. “I think I see moldy cheese.”   
  
“ Eww.”   
  
  
  
  
Liebgott slipped away from between Bill and Webster to poke Gene in the shoulder. “So how willing are you going to be to stick your tongue down Babe’s throat once he’s done eating pig testicles or some shit?”   
  
Gene just glared at the skinny man. “Is there a reason you’re asking?”   
  
Liebgott smirked. “Don’t get possessive Doc. I’m just testing you out. See how much you like our boy. I mean- someone’s gotta look out for the kid, right?”   
  
“ What like you did when you were doing body shots off of him?” Gene asked coolly.    
  
Liebgott’s smirk turned into a full on grin. “Still jealous?”   
  
Gene was about to respond rather rudely when Bill reached down and jerked Joe back to his side by the back of his t-shirt.   
  
“ Stop causing trouble.” Bill snapped at him.    
  
Joe glared, “Stop fucking manhandling me!”   
  
Webster rolled his eyes and tried to ignore their bickering and watch the challenge.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Babe could do this. He had eaten some gross things in his life, sure. And he knew how to play pool. He’d learned from his cousin who used to hustle pool a few years ago. It was all about the angles. He could play the game, but could he really eat all that junk? What  _ was _ some of that stuff?   
  
Skip moved pass Babe and grabbed a cue stick. “Alright, who’s going to break?”   
  
Babe shrugged. “You can I guess.”   
  
Skip nodded. It was better to just get this over with. After chalking the cue stick he held, he made his way over to the already racked billiard balls, lined up the cue ball and gave it his best hit. The balls quickly scattered across the pool table and Babe winced when he heard the familiar thud that indicated one had gone into a pocket.    
  
Nixon rushed forward and pulled a solid red 3 out of the right corner pocket. “Excellent. Skip you’re solids. Babe, please head to the table.   
  
Babe sighed and made his way over to the table where his doom awaited. His eyes fell down to the plate of… “What the Hell is this?”   
  
“ That would be fried spider.” Nixon informed him.   
  
“ You’re joking.”   
  
“ You wish. Now down the hatch!” The host ordered.   
  
Babe made a face and picked up the crusty black looking creature. He closed his eyes and pretended it was chicken.    
  
He slapped a hand over his mouth when it threatened to come back up as he swallowed the last legs. After a minute he coughed, hit his chest and then turned and triumphantly stuck his tongue out at Nixon. Both to be a brat and to prove he had eaten the whole thing.    
  
He headed back to the pool table and looked at Skip, “Take your next shot.”   
  
Skip nodded and took aim for the orange 5; unfortunately he missed it and instead sent the cue ball into the side pocket.    
  
Babe smiled and was glad he was allowed to take his turn. He scanned the table really quickly to see which foods were paired with which number but couldn’t gauge just how badly they might taste. He pulled the cue ball out of the pocket, positioned it and took aim for the easiest one he saw.    
  
Just to be a show off, he called it. “9-ball, corner pocket.”   
  
With a jab of his cue stick the balls collided and the yellow and white nine-ball rolled smoothly into the corner pocket. He straightened up, feeling relieved.   
  
Skip blew out a puff of air, but nodded and headed over to the table. He found the food that corresponded with the number and gave it a quizzical look. It was a drink in a metal cup.   
  
“ Umm?” he looked over at Nixon expectantly.   
  
Nixon beamed. “That would be Babe’s famous hangover cure. We pulled the recipe together after reviewing the tapes. You have to drink the whole thing.”   
  
From the sidelines Liebgott shook his head, “He’s screwed.”   
  
Babe gaped at Nixon, offended. “Hey! It’s not THAT bad!”   
  
Skip picked up the drink. “Bottoms up.”   
  
He knocked the drink back and immediately coughed some of it back into the cup. He struggled to choke it down and it looked as though he was just about to finish it when he jerked his head to the side and began to vomit- the gray slush spewing to the ground.   
  
The reaction from the bleachers was immediate.   
  
“ OH!”   
  
“ Sick dude.”   
  
“ I knew that would happen!”   
  
Babe just frowned and put his hands on his hips, “Oh COME on!”   
  
Nixon smiled as Skip coughed up the last of the concoction. “That must be some vile stuff Babe. Unfortunately for you Skip, since you couldn’t keep it down you are the loser of the arena challenge and will be leaving the island, and the competition, for good. Once you’ve uh…composed yourself, you can say goodbye to your teammates.”   
  
Skip sighed and wiped his mouth. Great, what a dignified way to leave the competition, with gray barf on his shoes.    
  
However no one seemed to care about the embarrassing circumstances as all the contestants left the stands and rushed over to say farewell. The entirety of the red team and even Sobel seemed sorry to see him leaving.    
  
Over all the chatter, jokes, and laughter Skip was pulled into numerous hugs and reminded himself to squeeze Don just a tiny fraction tighter than he did the others.    
  
“ Good luck.” He whispered into the red head’s ear. “I’ll miss you.”   
  
Don smiled sadly as he hugged his friend. “We’re all going to miss you too.”   
  
Skip pulled back and grinned at him, “No, I meant that I’m going to miss  _ you _ Don. Just you.”   
  
Don looked confused for a moment and wondered if perhaps he had missed something when Penkala jumped on Skip’s back and the chaos of everyone’s farewells stole Skip’s attention away.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dick smiled as he watched all of the contestants practically suffocate Skip. He turned to Lewis. “I liked him. Too bad he’s leaving.”   
  
Lewis shrugged. “Eh- he’s not going very far.”   
  
That made Dick smile, as he was in on the little secret that the crew was keeping from the contestants. “Nope, he sure isn’t.”   
  
Nixon slipped his shades on and gave Dick a sloppy salute. “Time to break up the party.”   
  
Dick watched him scamper off to irritate the contestants and smiled. He might never admit it, but he thought it was somewhat funny the way he was so catty to them all. Lewis cared more than he let on. It was one of the things that Dick loved about his friend. Which was why he wasn’t going to let this reality show make Lewis into a different person, no matter how hard that task might prove to be.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Challenge**

  
  
  
  
  
  
The contestants were all seated at one long, wooden picnic table that had been set up on the beach. The red team on one side, the blue team on the other.    
  
“ So,” Nixon started off, “how’d you guys like that arena challenge?”   
  
Babe made a face while Perconte and Luz laughed. The others looked an interesting variation of disturbed or indifferent.   
  
“ I only ask,” Nixon continued. “Because it was the perfect segway into today’s challenge.”   
  
Perconte stopped laughing. “Crap.”   
  
Nixon tried to contain his excitement as he began to explain. “Yep for today’s challenge you all will be facing off by eating some less than desirable things. We’ve got five courses ready for you to consume! You must eat or drink everything put in front of you. If you refuse to eat it, you’re out of the challenge. Similarly you will be out of the challenge if you cannot finish your dish in the time given or if you at anytime throw up. So you know- that’s exciting.”   
  
Winters took over explaining, “Now at the end of the five courses, whichever team has the most people left wins. If the teams have the same number of people left over then we have devised a tie breaker which we will reveal should that scenario come up. Any questions that aren’t about why we hate you?”   
  
Alex’s hand went up. “Uh yeah-they have more people than we do. How is that fair?”   
  
Winters nodded, “You know I actually discussed that with our producer earlier on the way over here. We feel that because this game relies on the number of team members that make it to the end that you’re right. The blue team has an unfair advantage. So we’ve decided that because he already had a similar challenge earlier- Babe can sit this one out. Since we don’t want anyone to feel like he may or may not be contributing to any type of win or loss- should the blue team lose, he will also be exempt from the voting session.”   
  
Sobel gaped, “How is that in any way fair?”   
  
Nixon shrugged, “Who said it was? What’s with all the sudden griping about fairness anyway? It’s like you don’t know us at all.”   
  
Babe frowned and looked over his team. He saw Liebgott shifting somewhat nervously and knew immediately that they had a problem.   
  
They could hardly get Joe to eat normal food. He’d never be able to stomach all of this. Plus Sobel was always looking for an excuse to get rid of him.    
  
“ I’d like to compete.” Babe spoke up just as Nixon was moving to usher him away.   
  
Winters frowned. “That’s very noble of you Babe but your team has too many people.”   
  
“ Yeah but you said that we just had to sit someone out.” Babe pointed out. “It doesn’t have to be me. I think Joe should sit this one out.”   
  
Dick regarded the young man for a moment. “Are you sure? If he doesn’t compete, he’s going to be the one safe from being voted into the arena, not you.”   
  
“ I’m sure.” Babe decided.   
  
Joe just stared in confusion. “Kid, are you crazy?”   
  
Babe nodded, “Maybe a little bit. But not about this.”   
  
Nixon led Joe off to the side with him and Dick and made a motion to the crew members who were gathered near a white tent where the food was being held.    
  
“ Alright let’s get this thing going!” This host called out.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**First Course- Cocktails**

  
  
  
  
  
The contestants all looked on in confusion as the crew set down in front of each of them a large cocktail glass filled to the brim with a red liquid.   
  
David raised an eyebrow, “It looks like a bloody mary.”   
  
Nixon snickered, “Bloody mary…you guys are funny. Nope this is no bloody mary. What you have before you is a combination of the hottest hot sauces that Brazil has to offer. And you have to drink every last drop.”   
  
Babe wiped at his eyes, “My eyes are watering and I haven’t even picked the damn thing up.”   
  
Evans frowned. “This isn’t fair they have all the Mexican people on their team!”   
  
The red team just looked at each other. Not because of the stupidity of what Evans was implying, they were all used to that, but in confusion, not sure who he was talking about.    
  
Buck nudged Toye, “Are you Mexican?”   
  
Luz rolled his eyes, “Well you guys have…whatever the Hell Doc is.”   
  
“ I’m Jewish.” Liebgott offered from the sidelines.    
  
Webster looked over, “Really?”   
  
Sobel frowned, “Huh. So am I.”   
  
“ Of course you are.” Joe sighed.    
  
Toye was about to inform them that he wasn’t Mexican when they heard someone begin to cough rapidly. They all turned their heads to see Lipton hitting at his chest, a now empty glass before him.    
  
Speirs smiled at him proudly, picked up his drink, clinked it against Lipton’s empty glass then tipped it back and down his throat. Once he was done he put a hand to his chest and let out a quick breath.   
  
Everyone stared at the two of them. “How was it?” Jo asked. Lipton just held up a hand to indicate he couldn’t quite speak and Speirs shrugged.   
  
Nixon butted in, “You’ve got one minute to drink it or beat it.”   
  
Everyone frowned but they all picked up their hot sauce cocktails. There was coughing, cursing and a few tears.   
  
Babe looked at Gene and smiled. “What?” Gene managed to cough out despite his entire mouth feeling like it was on fire.    
  
Babe grinned and reached out and poked Gene on the nose. “Your nose is all red, it’s really cute.”   
  
Gene laughed and proceeded to point out that Babe's face was redder than his hair.    
  
Nixon made a gagging noise from where he stood. “Ugh get a room you two. Oh and be sure to let the cameraman know when you do.”   
  
The host yelped as the two tossed their glasses at him.    
  
“ Next course!” He shouted as he dodged the cups.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Second Course-Appetizers**

  
  
  
The next dish was a plate full of weird...possbile bugs, bite sized and rubber looking.   
  
“ Oh God. What are they?” Don asked.   
  
Alex frowned, “You probably shouldn’t have asked.”   
  
“ I was going tell you anyway.” Nixon said. “These are bee larvae. I’ve heard that they’re not that bad actually.”   
  
Perconte frowned. “They look like maggots.”   
  
Nixon laughed, “Haha…yeah. 2 minutes. Eat up.”   
  
Bill ate a few. “Oh that’s horrible.”   
  
Luz grabbed a handful and swallowed them. “Didn’t taste a thing.”   
  
The others followed his lead and made it through the bee larvae.   
  
Nixon frowned, “I was sure somebody wasn’t going to eat that. Alright next!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Third Course-Soup**

  
  
  
  
  
“ EWWWWWW. I can’t! I just can’t!” Malarkey made a face.   
  
Bill frowned, “It’s just uh…bat fruit soup.”   
  
“ I’m from Oregon! The most exotic thing we have to eat there is Taco Bell!”   
  
Gene grimaced and took a bite. “It could be worse.”   
  
Don continued to shake his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry- I’m out.”   
  
The blue team sighed as he left the bench and went to stand with Joe, Nixon and Winters off to the side.   
  
“ You know it probably wouldn't be as gross if the wings weren’t in there.” Webster noted.   
  
As if on cue, Alex turned to throw up. Nixon pumped a fist in the air, “Money shot!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Fourth Course- Salad**

  
  
  
  
  
“ This is not a salad.” Gene pointed out. “This is vile.”   
  
“ I think that’s the point.” Lipton said.    
  
Speirs raised an eyebrow. “Insect salad? Really?”   
  
“ Yep.” Nixon nodded, “We’ve got spiders, wasps, and grasshoppers. And  _ you _ only have 3 minutes to eat it.”   
  
“ Great.” Sobel groused before spearing the spider with his fork and choking it down.   
  
“ Done!” Babe exclaimed proudly and everyone turned to stare. “What? I already ate a spider earlier-everything else was a total breeze.”   
  
The rest attempted to eat the insect salad but when time was up, Lipton, Bill and Webster hadn’t managed to eat the whole thing.    
  
Nixon watched them all trudge off to the sidelines. “Now we’re getting down to it.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Fifth Course- Entrée**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Monkey brains?” Babe gaped down at the weird substance.    
  
Gene took a quick bite and gave Babe’s hands a reassuring pat. “It’s actually a delicacy.”   
  
Perconte stared at it on the other side of the table. “I don’t care. I’m not eating it.”   
  
Luz scooped up a generous amount and shoved it into Frank’s mouth. Then he slapped his hand over the other man’s mouth. “Swallow it,” he ordered.   
  
Frank did so. “Eww.”   
  
“ Now you didn’t do that for nothing did you?” Luz asked. “You might as well finish it.”   
  
He then turned to look at his other teammates. “You’re next.” He warned.   
  
The all took a bite. “Five minutes!” Nixon warned.   
  
Babe noticed that Gene was done. “Wow.”   
  
Gene shrugged. “I’ve eaten it before.”   
  
The teen took a bite and then put a hand to his mouth. “I don’t think I’ll be able to keep it   
down.”   
  
Gene rubbed circles on Babe’s back as the red-headed contestant finished the dish.    
  
Off to the side Webster noticed Joe watching the touching gesture. “Something bothering you?” he asked the other man.    
  
Joe shook his head. “No...they just really seem to like each other.”   
  
“ Is that so odd?”   
  
Joe shrugged and stayed quiet.   
  
For some reason Webster really wanted to say. ‘I would rub circles on your back if you needed me to.’But he doubted Joe would care and remained silent.   
  
He was brought back to reality as Buck, Toye and Sobel came to stand next to them in defeat.    
  
Bill raised an eyebrow at Jo. “Monkey brains?”   
  
Toye shuddered. “It was awful.”   
  
Buck nodded. “So are you Mexican or not?”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Alright!” Nixon called out. “Luz, Speirs and Perconte are the only three left for the red team. Babe, Gene and Evans are the only ones left for the Blue team. But we think we have a food gross enough to cut that number of people down considerably.”   
  
“ Bring it on.” Perconte challenged. “I just ate monkey brains okay!”   
  
Nixon frowned. “Even I hate to make you do this but here it is- bring it out.”   
  
The crew placed in front of all of the remaining contestants an…egg?   
  
“ Huh?” Babe looked over at Nixon in confusion.    
  
“ Yeah that is not a normal egg.” The host began to clarify. “That is Balut. It is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. You’ve got 3 minutes to choke it down.”   
  
They all just stared at him. Perconte shook his head. “No way.”   
  
Speirs silently pushed his away and waited to see how the blue team would react before making a decision out loud.    
  
“ Yeah agreed.” Babe nodded. “I am NOT eating a duck fetus! That’s too gross.”   
  
“ Same here.” Gene agreed. He looked over at Luz, “You know if you refuse to eat it they’ll have to give us something else.”   
  
Luz bit his bottom lip and looked over at the three remaining blue members.    
  
“ Fuck it.” He decided before grabbing the egg, tipping his head back and sliding it in his mouth. He held his hand over his mouth and coughed before jutting his jaw out and taking a deep swallow.    
  
Everyone gaped. “Did he just swallow that whole?” Dick asked in astonishment.   
  
Nixon nodded. “Yeah…uh…Red team wins!”   
  
Luz rubbed his jaw and gave a sarcastic, “Yaaay.”   
  
Perconte looked at him. “Good gag reflex right?”   
  
Toye coughed, “Say what?”   
  
Nixon recovered, “Uh blue team you know what the means! Be at the beach in 3 hours and ready to cast your votes for the arena. And remember- Joe is exempt from this voting session.”   
  
Dick and Lewis watched them all trudge off. Nixon frowned. “I guess swallowing an egg whole kind of makes up for the fact that only one person puked.”   
  
Dick nodded. “I guess some people might view it that way.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz was still rubbing at his throat about an hour later. Buck nudged him and Luz was about to assure him that his throat felt fine when Buck said, “You know now the teams will be even.”   
  
“ Sure,” Luz responded, “plus now Jo won’t have to worry about the arena.”   
  
Buck was about to respond when the man in question plopped down on the other side of Luz and handed him a glass.   
  
Luz gave Toye a confused smile. “What’s this?” he asked.    
  
“ That is a chocolate milkshake.” Jo informed him as he stuck a straw in the glass. “For your throat. I noticed you were holding it earlier, maybe that will make it feel better.”   
  
That said he bounced up and went over to where Bill and Joe were talking. Luz watched him go with a full on grin. “He made me a milkshake.”   
  
He found that to be really important for some reason.

 


	12. Are You Afraid of the Dark?

**Disclaimer:** I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and  **not the actual soldiers** . Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!    
  
**A/N:** Both the challenge and the Casa de Losers idea are inspired by Total Drama Island.   
  
  
  
  
  
Things on the blue team were pretty stressful. They had just been handed their second consecutive loss and by tomorrow they were going to lose the one player advantage that they had over the red team. However things were even more stressful for Malarkey as he struggled to decide who he was going to vote for.   
  
As usual, the losing team had returned to the mansion in silence as the other team roamed the house loud and carefree. Don had never felt more alone. It wasn’t like Penkala and Frank hadn’t immediately tried to talk to him about who he was going to vote for, it was just that he felt like an outsider on his own team. Plus he really missed Skip.    
  
He realized quickly that he had to make a decision. Webster, Gene, Babe, Bill and Liebgott were all hanging around the couch in the living room and talking in low tones whenever they thought anyone was watching. Don not only wasn’t sure that he was welcome to discuss the vote with them, but he didn’t actually think he wanted to.   
  
After his enquiry into the previous vote, he knew that he couldn’t trust Bill or Liebgott and that they must have been to blame for Skip getting voted into the arena. But did he really want to team up with Sobel? It wasn’t a popular option but it seemed to be the only one he could come up with given the situation.    
  
He scanned the large, open space of the first floor and saw that Sobel and Evans were seated in a couple of chairs on the far side of the game room where the pool table and dart board was. He glanced over at the majority of his team to see if they were paying him any attention before slinking through the kitchen and heading towards his team Captain.   
  
Sobel didn’t look all that surprised to see him. “Malarkey,” the pale man greeted while Evans looked up from where he’d been fiddling with his shoe laces to smile at him.    
  
“ Uh…hey Sobel.” Don said and gave Evans a little wave. “Can I talk to you about the vote?”   
  
Sobel looked around, “No one’s stopping you. Talk away.”   
  
Don nodded, not sure why he felt so nervous. “I know you hate Bill and Liebgott and that you want them both out of the game. The things is…since I’m pretty sure that they not only voted for Skip, but that they  _ lied _ to me about it….I want them gone too.”   
  
Sobel smiled, “Interesting. Well I’m sure it was Joe’s doing but the little bastard is safe from elimination.”   
  
“ What about Bill?” Don asked and couldn’t help but feeling like a traitor for being there even though Sobel was on his team. And he had been betrayed first damn it!   
  
Herbert studied the trusting and nervous young man for a moment. Finally he nodded, “Sounds   
good to me.”   
  
A relieved sigh came from the red headed contestant before he nodded slightly. “Okay. Thanks.”   
  
Evans watched Don’s hasty retreat in confusion. He looked at Sobel, “So we’re voting for Bill?”   
  
“ Nope.” Sobel remarked with a knowing smile.    
  
“ Why not?” his blond ally asked.   
  
“ Because as much as I hate to admit it, Bill is our strongest player. We can’t afford to lose him if we want to win any challenges. Plus there’s a high chance I could get voted into the arena at this point and I’d rather not have to go against him.” Sobel explained.   
  
Evans nodded slowly, as if he understood. “Wait...so who are we voting for?”   
  
“ We’re voting for Don of course. He was the first one to drop out of the challenge. Not to mention he did it voluntarily. Plus he’s too close to the red team and someone I actually stand a chance against in a one-on-one challenge scenario.” Sobel told him.    
  
“ Riiiight.”   
  
  
  
  
“ So everyone up for voting for Sobel?” Liebgott asked the assembled blue team. It was about time they actually made a move against that prick.   
  
Bill shot Joe an amused look. “You realize that you don’t get a vote, don’t you?”   
  
Joe glared, “I’m still part of the damn team, aren’t I?”   
  
Bill shrugged as if to concede the point before he said, “Well I’m all for that course of action. Anyone else?”   
  
Gene nodded, “Yeah the sooner he’s gone the sooner he can stop holding his vote over our heads. I’d rather anyone else be Captain than him.”   
  
The other man’s statement got Webster’s attention. “He pulled that shit on you too? I knew he was a sneaky bastard. I don’t much care for being manipulated. I’m 100% in agreement- Sobel has to go.”   
  
Joe gave Webster an honest to God grin, “Someone’s seen the light, huh?”   
  
David rolled his eyes but smiled back, “Yes, yes I’m SORRY already.”   
  
They all turned to look at Babe, who merely blinked at them. “What?” the young man asked.   
  
Gene smiled and bumped the younger man’s knee with his shoulder as Babe was seated behind him on the arm of the couch. “Are you going to vote for Sobel?”   
  
Babe watched them all stare at him a moment before he sighed, “No.”   
  
Liebgott smacked a hand to his forehead, “Oh my God. Why not?”   
  
“ Because he tried his hardest!” Babe answered. “Don was the one who gave up!”   
  
“ It’s not going to make much of a difference.” Webster told the exasperated Joe but the other man just ignored him.   
  
Bill didn’t seem too fazed by Babe’s decision either. “Even without his vote we should still get Sobel into the arena. And at least he has some sort of morals in this game.”   
  
“ Screw his morals.” Joe grumbled. “But I guess you’re right.”   
  
Webster gaped at the two of them. He had basically said the same damn thing! Argh! Was Liebgott purposely hoping to drive him insane with this whole ‘hot then cold’ act? Because if so? It was really working…   
  
  
Speirs watched as the blue team shuffled out of the house to go and cast their votes. He was glad that things were starting to even out on their teams. It would be 7 to 7 by the next challenge. He let his gaze run over his own team momentarily and began to assess what their group dynamic currently was.   
  
Luz was still causing trouble and a rift amongst them all by practically jerking Buck around and pining after Jo. Speirs still wasn’t sure whether the status quo was preferable or if he wanted Luz to man up and be honest about whom he really wanted. He supposed if he did that then he might not have Buck’s support on voting Toye into the arena any longer. Either way Luz knew what he was doing but simply didn’t care.   
  
However Speirs liked the guy, despite himself, and Luz was universally loved as well as a good competitor so Speirs didn’t see himself intervening.    
  
Penkala, on the other hand, was shaping up to be their weakest player. He didn’t have too many attachments on their team, which helped, but Speirs knew that his own vote was reserved for Toye. If he wanted Penkala out then the man was going to have to screw up a challenge first.    
  
He took a break from his…well he wouldn’t call it  _ scheming _ … but whatever it was he took a break from it to seek out Lipton with his eyes. He saw that the blonde was seated outside by the pool, reading. It was strange how much the other man occupied his mind.    
  
Ron had kissed plenty of people before, but he had never been so concerned about what they were thinking afterwards. Try as he might, he couldn’t get a read on what was going through Lipton’s head. He wanted a chance to spend time with him, alone.   
  
He gave the object of his affection one last look before going over to talk to his rowdy team. They were all crowded around the pool table- drinking and laughing.   
  
Ron gave a sharp whistle and they all quieted down. “Alright.” He addressed them, “I’m going outside to talk to Lipton and I don’t want  _ any _ of you going out there the rest of the night. Understand?”   
  
They all stared at him, making no move to confirm that they, indeed, understood. “Well?” he prompted them with a stern look.   
  
They all began to nod and talk at once.   
  
“ Yeah sure-”   
  
“ Whatever you say.”   
  
“ I will definitely stay in here.”   
  
Ron nodded curtly, “Good to hear. You be sure to pass that message on to the blue team when they return.”   
  
That said he turned on his heel and headed outside, uncharacteristically nervous about being alone with Lipton.    
  
  
  
  
  


**On the Beach**

  
  
  
  
  
Babe dropped his ballot into the stupid box and walked back towards the logs to sit. Gene followed after him and sat down beside him.   
  
“ You know I can appreciate the way you approach these things.” Gene whispered into his ear.   
  
“ But?” Babe prompted, because he knew it was coming.   
  
Gene nodded seriously. “ _ But _ what are you going to do if the person who screws up next time is Bill or Joe? Are you going to vote for them over the others even though they’re your friends?”   
  
Babe frowned, giving it serious thought. On the one hand, he couldn’t imagine knowingly putting either of his friends up for elimination over Sobel or Evans…and yet he remembered the last time he tried to play the game. Joe went to the arena anyway and Shifty was sent home.    
  
“ I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” Babe said just to deflect the question.   
  
But Gene honestly wanted him to think about it. Because the last thing he needed was for Babe to start voting for himself again. So even though he knew it was kind of an unfair question he asked it anyway.   
  
“ Okay- so what if it were me?”   
  
“ Of course I wouldn’t vote for you.” Babe automatically answered.   
  
Gene was surprised that the answer came so quickly. Yet he was pleased by it, not just out of flattery but also because he saw his opening to ensure that Babe wouldn’t sabotage himself again.    
  
“ Well then how is that fair?”   
  
“ Because you’re different and our relationship is different...” Babe answered and then frowned at him. “You know I can see what you’re trying to do. But I’m not going to be limited by my own moral code. I can adapt it in a manner that’s going to add to my happiness. Seeing as I’m abiding by this code because it pleases me and is simple. There’s an exception to every rule. And you’re the exception to this one.”   
  
Having said that he leaned over and pressed a kissed to Gene’s forehead just to be irritating and sat back to enjoy the look of astonishment on the other man’s face. He laughed for a moment as Gene gathered his thoughts.   
  
“ That makes…sense I guess. Wow I think you just won that argument.”   
  
Babe nodded and made a smug face. “I don’t know if I should be insulted that you think I’m so easily swayed or happy that I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”   
  
“ You’re certainly full of surprises.”   
  
Their attentions were drawn away from one another as Nixon began to make a nuisance of himself, as usual. All the contestants watched Winters and Nixon doing their typical song and dance as they looked over the tally.    
  
“ They flirt an awful lot.” Babe noted. Gene smiled, nodded in agreement and asked, “I wonder if they’ve even noticed?”   
  
Joe rolled his eyes from where he was sprawled on the sand. He was laying on his back and tying Sobel’s shoelaces together unbeknownst to the other man. “Who cares?” he asked before tilting his head backwards, looking at Winters and Nixon upside down.   
  
“ Hey!” Joe hollered at them both. “Will you tell us the damn outcome already? I’m exhausted!”   
  
“ Hold your horses!” Nixon snapped back.   
  
Webster leaned forward, from where he was seated on the log, to look down at Joe. “You’re exhausted?”   
  
Liebgott glared at him and motioned to the dark circles under his eyes. “Don’t I look it?”   
  
“ But you’re never tired.” David pointed out in concern. He watched as Joe’s eyes slipped close and wasn’t shocked to discover that he was once again being ignored by the other man. He couldn’t help but wonder if this had something to do with Joe’s mysterious illness.   
  
He knew that Liebgott had only told him about it initially out of frustration and Webster might have written it off as a lie or maybe even a truth of little importance, but then Joe had been adamant that they never discuss it again. Plus that whole scene he had witnessed in the phone room... He was going to get to the bottom of this.   
  
Nixon cleared his throat and addressed them. “So we’ve looked over your votes-”   
  
“ Finally.” Joe mumbled sleepily.   
  
“ -and the two contestants with the most votes who will be competing in tomorrow’s elimination challenge are Sobel and Malarkey.”   
  
“ YES!” Joe bolted up with renewed energy and pumped his fist in the air. Everyone stared at him. He let his arm drop slowly, “I meant about the Sobel thing…uh…sorry Don.”   
  
Don sighed…this was just his luck.    
  
While Sobel wasn’t surprised by the vote, he certainly wasn’t happy to be going into the arena. How the Hell was he going to fix this problem? Even if he managed to win, he couldn’t just keep going into the arena. The three votes between him and Evans could only go so far.    
  
He needed another vote on his side.    
  
Unfortunately he wasn’t sure how to get it. Malarkey  _ would _ have been the ideal choice under different circumstances, but Sobel knew that facing Don in elimination had been his best shot at staying in the game. He wasn’t the strongest of competitors and his presence in the arena wouldn’t turn any more people against Sobel. The next best target then was Webster.    
  
He merely had to find a way to alienate Webster from the rest of their team, and he had a feeling that he could use Webster’s strained relationship with Liebgott to do just that. Mind made up, he quickly stood up to return to the house.   
  
Unfortunately for him his feet were laced together and he fell flat on his face. Apparently Liebgott wasn’t too tired to laugh his ass off. Sobel spit sand out of his mouth and glared at the skinny man.   
  
Liebgott might never admit it…but Sobel could tell that the man actually liked Webster. Not only was Sobel going to alienate Webster from the team…but he was going to ruin Liebgott’s chance at happiness.    
  
He felt determined to keep the number of couples on their team to a minimum. He saw the way Babe and Gene were acting during the vote. Couples never voted each other off. The two of them may have a sweet and secure little alliance but there was no way Sobel was going to let Webster and Liebgott have one as well.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Back at the house, Speirs was closing the glass doors that led from the mansion and out to the pool area. Lipton heard the faint noise and looked up to see Ron standing there in a swimsuit.   
  
“ Taking a dip?” He asked, trying not to be obvious as he watched his team captain pull off his shirt.   
  
Ron smiled, “Yeah. You should join me….I mean…if you want.”   
  
‘ You should join me?’ How much more ridiculous could he sound, Ron wondered. However Lipton just shyly ducked his head and nodded.   
  
“ I just might.” The blonde agreed before looking around. “This is usually a hot spot. Where is everyone?”   
  
Ron attempted to look just as surprised by the empty pool as Lipton did. “Not sure. Not that I’m really mourning their absence.”    
  
Setting his book down, Lipton leaned forward in his seat as Ron slowly slipped into the pool. “I noticed.” Lipton commented. “You know I don’t think you’ve ever been in this pool.”   
  
“ Maybe I was just waiting for it to be less crowded.” Ron said.   
  
“ Should I give you some privacy?” Lipton teased him.   
  
Ron gave him an astonished look. “You can’t leave me all alone out here. I might drown you know.”   
  
Lipton laughed and toed his shoes off. He was wearing his swim trunks already as he had learned that if one was by the pool it was always a good precaution to take. He wandered over to the edge and dipped his feet in.   
  
“ Our fearless leader?” he asked Ron jokingly. “I’m sure you can handle a little water.”   
  
Speirs lips curled into an amused grin as he studied Lipton. “Well I’d feel safer if you stayed nearby all the same.”   
  
Ron swam over towards him and propped his arms up on the concrete near his legs. “You know it might not be as popular of a spot now because so many people are going home.”   
  
“ There are still 15 people here.” Lipton pointed out.   
  
“ It’ll be just 14 soon though.” Speirs corrected, “It makes me wonder…”   
  
Instead of asking what he was wondering about Lipton asked, “Do you ever feel like you’re in a madhouse?”   
  
Speirs looked up at him. “Sometimes…I guess. How about you?”   
  
“ That’s really the only way I can describe it.” Lipton answered. “This whole thing is just…insane. People fighting and getting hurt…you know...this whole crew makes me fear for my safety and my sanity. Well…except Winters.”   
  
“ I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” Ron said seriously and then realized that he may have sounded a bit dramatic.   
  
Lipton smiled at him brightly, “That sounded awfully sincere.”   
  
At this point Ron figured that Lipton had already discovered he wasn’t a complete hardass. There was no point in trying to deny that he cared. Instead Ron maneuvered himself subtly in front of Lipton, and placed a hand on both sides of the man’s hips, hoisting himself up out of the water until they were face to face- Ron in between Lipton’s legs.   
  
“ I guess that’s because it was.” Speirs told him, their faces mere inches apart.   
  
Lipton could feel his body tense from Ron’s close proximity and tingle in all the places where Ron’s arms or hips were brushing against him. He relaxed, however, once Ron leaned forward to press their lips together softly and Lipton immediately brought a hand up to lace through Ron’s wet hair.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dick watched the private moment on a monitor, feeling more than a little creepy. But Nixon had insisted he had to go and get a scotch or the world would end. Therefore he’d asked Dick to keep an eye out for any ‘interesting developments’.   
  
He didn’t suppose that Lipton and Speirs kissing was much of a development but he decided to call Gordon anyway and make sure they had a cameraman on the two of them. Dick wasn’t particularly fond of this part of their jobs but he knew if he didn’t do it then Nix would.    
  
All he really wanted was for Lewis to stop thinking about the show 24/7 and remember that the contestants were people, not merely there for exploitation. And if he were being honest with himself, Dick knew that it had less to do with looking out for the players and more to do with looking out for his best friend.   
  
Lewis was, in Dick’s opinion, too good at his job. He wanted to remind his friend that he was more than a TV show host- he was a good, decent person. Who was clever and funny- but most importantly he wasn’t this brash character that he pretended to be.   
  
Perhaps he was worrying too much about Lewis. It seemed that this was something that occupied his thoughts whenever he was alone. Lewis had survived before Dick had come into his life….somehow. But that didn’t matter. Somewhere along the line of their friendship Dick had made it his job to watch over the other man, to ensure that he didn’t do any harm to himself.    
  
Could he be suffocating Nixon? Spending too much time with him? Maybe Dick’s presence was causing Nixon to act out? The fact that they were so different making Lewis feel the need to behave outrageously so that he could widen the difference in their temperaments.   
  
It wasn’t like Dick didn’t have other friends…it was just that Nixon was his favorite. But could Lewis’s behavior really be in anyway Dick’s fault?   
  
Lord…why was this bothering him so?   
  


**The Next Morning**

  
  
  
  
Liebgott could hear people milling around out in the hallway outside of his room, but he couldn’t bring himself to move from his bed. He’d passed out around fucking 10 o’clock last night and he was pretty sure, judging by his position on the top of his sheets, that he hadn’t moved an inch since then.    
  
He sluggishly raised his head to check and see Gene’s bed, but the other man wasn’t there. The bed had obviously been slept in though and seeing as Doc had still been fairly awake when Joe last saw him the night before, he must have slept in. Which meant it was way too late for Joe to still be asleep.    
  
Goddamnit...he knew exactly why he was so tired. His talk the other day with his friend Tipper had been like a slap in the face. The wake-up call he so desperately needed.    
  
He’d been straight up lying when he told Winters in that interview that he worked at a bar. Back in San Francisco Joe used to work as a cabbie. It was a good job and if he were being honest? He’d had a pretty good life. That is until one day a couple years ago this smarmy douche had shown up and hired him to be his cabbie for the entire day. Before Joe knew it the guy, Norman Dike, was asking him if he wanted to make extra cash on the side by being his personal driver. It had sounded like easy money and Joe had said yes.   
  
Unfortunately he hadn’t been told that he’d be driving Norman and the rest of his creepy family to and from various shady drug deals. Not that there were any drug deals that  _ weren’t _ shady. Apparently the guy’s family moved meth shipments around the city and  _ somehow _ their last driver had wound up in jail.   
  
But Joe had always had a fairly relaxed moral code and he made a shit load of undocumented money being Dike’s driver so he hadn’t worried about it too much. Then after one apparently big sale, Norman and a couple of his cousins had insisted that they all go out and celebrate- Joe included.   
  
And celebrating with them meant dipping into their stash. Once Dike had hooked him on the drugs they were selling Joe was pretty much doing whatever the guy wanted, including making visits to manufacturing sites out of country where they smuggled drugs back into the states. Dike’s family was pretty serious about what they did and Joe had gotten sucked in so deep he couldn’t remember what the sun even looked like.    
  
Tipper had been his support through all of the bullshit and Joe honestly couldn’t have asked for a better friend. Of course Eddie was always trying to talk him into going to rehab. Joe didn’t think he was addicted to shit…but that never stopped his friend.   
  
However much Joe wasn’t a good guy, he did have his lines. He’d never laid a fist on anyone for the job and one day…almost a month ago...he’d found another line he was unwilling to cross. His reaction to the incident had been pretty bad and was what had landed him in the situation he was in now…$100,000 in debt to a very pissed off and violent family of drug dealers.   
  
Things had gone bad when he’d been with Norman, who was trying to close a big deal with some rich Italian prick that Joe hadn’t really paid much attention to initially. It wasn’t much of a secret that Joe slept around with guys but at the same time it wasn’t really something he broadcasted. So when Norm had told him that the client would only buy from them if Joe slept with him- Liebgott had kind of lost his shit.   
  
But who wouldn’t have been pissed? You could call Joe a druggie, a low life or a criminal but he wasn’t some goddamn whore and he sure as fuck wasn’t going to screw some jackass just to close a drug deal. He’d pretended he was cool with it but the moment the guy had made a move on him-Joe, who was a little high at the time, busted the man’s head against the wall, grabbed the drugs that they had sold him and ran for it. It probably hadn’t been the smartest move.   
  
When the guy eventually came to-he’d wanted blood. But for whatever reason Dike had convinced his family to simply let Joe pay them back...with interest of course. He’d given them back most of their drugs but had skipped town with the rest, which he’d smuggled into Brazil with him. He sure as Hell didn’t have the $100,000 he owed them and this had seemed like the best way to try and get the money and get away from the people he was pretty sure wanted him dead.    
  
Only now his stash was running low and he was trying to slowly get off of it but it wasn’t working out so great. He felt like death warmed over and he knew that if he didn’t have another hit soon…things were going to get really ugly.   
  
He groped for the box he kept the premeasured doses in, small, black and tucked securely underneath his pillow. He pulled it out with a sigh and struggled to sit up. He let out a yawn before heading to the bathroom, eager to get the drugs into his system so that he could stop feeling like shit.    
  
Of course, in the back of his mind, a voice tried to remind him that everything that went up must come down. His crash was going to come sooner or later and it was not going to be pretty. He didn’t ignore the rational voice, he just gave it a mental shrug because even if the voice was right…there wasn’t anything he could do but wait and hope he could handle the consequences of his using when they finally caught up to him.    
  
  
  
  


**In the Arena**

  
  
  
“ Wait…we had five right?” Nixon asked Winters, head tilted upwards and eyes squinted to give off the appearance that he was deep in thought.    
  
“ I think so.” Dick answered. “There was the duel, the food game, push me, tug of war and the flag struggle. Yep…five. Why does it have to be five?”   
  
“ Anything lower than five hardly constitutes being worthy of a wheel of doom.” Lewis answered.   
  
Dick shot Harry a look as the producer approached them. “We’re not really adding the ‘of doom’ part in there are we?”   
  
Harry shrugged, “Nixon’s pretty much winging it all at this point. So Lewis? Has Floyd told anyone about Babe only being 17 yet?”   
  
Nixon shook his head. “Nah I told him to forget about it. He obviously doesn’t do well at infiltrating that house. It’s kind of sad really. But if it doesn’t come out on its own soon then I think we should hold on to that information until Babe and Gene have sex. And TRUST me…that train is coming fast.”   
  
Dick shook his head. They were promoting underage sex now? Well…technically 17 was the age of consent in multiple…wait what was he thinking!?    
  
“ Well let’s get this arena challenge on the road!” Nixon said before bouncing off to check on the Wheel of Doom.   
  
  
  
  
“ Of Doom? Really?”    
  
Nixon glared at Perconte. “Yes really! I’m the host and I reserve the right to name whatever I want!”   
  
The contestants looked over the large blue and red wheel that had five pie slices drawn upon it, each with the name of a different challenge. Challenges they had already seen take place.    
  
“ On the plus side at least now I can prepare for my time in the arena.” Jo joked to Luz with a half smile.    
  
Luz seethed silently, still upset at not knowing who was voting for Jo time and time again. He watched as Malarkey and Sobel made their way down to the bottom of the bleachers.   
  
“ Which one of us spins it?” Don wondered.   
  
Nixon rolled his eyes. “Please. Neither of you do, I get to spin it. Do you know WHY I get to spin it?”   
  
Don sighed. “Because you’re the host?”   
  
“ That’s right!” Nixon fixed his creation with a determined look. “Let’s do this then.”   
  
Reaching up, he grabbed the handle next to the slice that read  _ Push Me _ and jerked it downward with as much force as he could muster.    
  
They all watched as the wheel went around and around and around and around and around and…   
  
“ AHA!”    
  
The wheel came to a slow stop and landed on….   
  
“ Looks like you guys are playing Tug of War!” Nixon exclaimed before gesturing to the side of the arena for the crew to set the appropriate stage and bring out the corresponding equipment.    
  
Don frowned. That particular outcome was very bad for him. Sobel was notably bigger than he was and this challenge was going to require him to pull the other man’s entire body across the line.    
  
Nixon waved his arms to get the contestants attention. “In case some of you don’t remember this is the challenge that eliminated Grant and I’ll give you the rundown once more of how this works. In it each contestant will wear a harness that is attached to one end of a rope that is run through a pole in the center of a set up circle. The object of the game is to reach the outside of that circle. Don, Sobel, you two need to suit up. Remember that the loser of this challenge will be eliminated and must leave the island.”   
  
  
  
As he stepped into his harness, Don tried to ignore the sky that was beginning to turn gray, as well as the sounds of thunder off in the distance. He was nervous enough already without focusing on the odd weather.    
  
He figured that maybe he should just do what Toye had done and crouch down. It certainly seemed to have worked out for him. As they took their places, an equal amount of space from the central pole, back to back and inside the circle, Don crouched down low.   
  
Sobel, for his part, couldn’t  _ see _ what Don was doing, but he felt a small downward tug by the rope on the back of his harness and assumed that the man had squatted down. Which may have worked for Toye…but it wasn’t going to work for him.    
  
“ Alright,” Winters called out to the two of them. “At the signal…” the bullhorn sounded, “Go!”   
Don immediately dug his fingers into the dirt beneath him but it didn’t do much help as he was quickly jerked backwards and into the air by Sobel, who made a quick dash to the front.   
  
What neither Don or any of the others knew was that Sobel was quite a sprinter.   
  
Herbert knew he wasn’t the most athletic person on their team but he was far from the least and as he rushed forward he felt almost no resistance by Malarkey.   
  
Don realized pretty quickly that he wasn’t going to win by holding fast. As he was pulled backwards, he struggled to get his feet back under him. He swung his legs from the front of his body so that he was on his stomach. He propped a foot up underneath him, and lunged forward with the other. It effectively stopped Sobel and he began to make slow progress towards to edge of the circle.   
  
Sobel glared as he was slowly jerked backwards. His main strengths in this one-on-one were his size and the element of surprise. He needed a way to get Malarkey off of his feet once more, but the smaller contestant had a pretty good stance right now and Sobel running for the outside of the circle would only result in him falling down.    
  
The blue captain looked around quickly, realizing that none of the people or cameramen in the arena were watching him too closely, all of them too preoccupied with Malarkey’s sudden comeback. So, knowing that he needed the extra pull and that no one was watching him, Sobel hooked his thumbs under his vest, gripping tightly the harness that connected him to Don, and pulled at it. When he heard the thud of Don’s fall and the crowd’s reaction he quickly let his hands drop so that no one could see what he had done.   
  
The point of the game was to pull against each other by going the opposite way. Pulling at the harness wasn’t clearly banned…but it certainly wasn’t IN the rules.    
  
When Sobel heard his opponent fall he sprinted forward with all of his might until he heard the bullhorn sound.    
  
Malarkey cursed and struggled to sit up. What the Hell had happened? He had been winning and then all of a sudden he was on his ass as though someone had shoved him down.   
  
The teams in the stands were not particularly pleased with the outcome and Sobel glared at them all as they cursed and hollered. Fortunately for him though, none of them were accusing him of cheating.   
  
He walked over to help Malarkey up. Don, however, went against his normally polite nature as he glared up at him and slapped his hand away. The arena got quiet as everyone watched Don stand up and stare Sobel down.   
  
“ I know you screwed me on this.” Don hissed at the blue captain. “I was stupid to ever trust you and that’s my fault. But guess what? These guys,” the red head jerked his thumb back and in the direction of the blue team. “They aren’t going to put up with you for much longer. Enjoy watching your back. Because  _ no one _ is going to watch it for you.”   
  
Sobel watched him go, stunned, before there was suddenly a cameraman poking him in the shoulder and asking him how he felt about that.    
  
Both teams rushed to say goodbye to Don and Bill got to him first. “I swear to you Don.” He said. “We didn’t vote for you.”   
  
Don nodded, “I know you didn’t Bill. Please get rid of that asshole Sobel will you?”   
Liebgott gave him a salute, remembering having made the same promise to Shifty. “Glad to.”   
  
Penkala engulfed him in a bear hug. “WHHHYY?!”   
  
Don shrugged, unable to breath, “I…don’t…know?”   
  
“ This sucks! First Skip and now you?” Penkala frowned, obviously bummed.   
  
“ Alright everyone time for him to go!” Nixon hollered at them all.   
  
“ Good luck guys!” Don called out to his team as Floyd led him off towards the front of the house where an SUV was waiting to take him away. Both he and Sobel had packed their things the night before and Harry must have radioed the crew the results of the arena challenge, because his things were already in the vehicle.   
  
He opened up the door and got in the car, surprised when he saw Harry get in behind him. He gave the producer a curious look. “Can I…help you?”   
  
The producer’s eyes were glued to his blackberry. “I have to come with you and give you the rundown. We found that out the hard way with Grant.”   
  
“ The rundown of what?” Don asked, “I thought I was just going home?”   
  
Harry laughed, “You thought wrong.”   
  
“ Well then where am I going?” the contestant wondered.   
  
“ You’ll see.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The rain started to pour the moment that Nixon opened his mouth. “Damn it!” The host cursed as he observed the horrid weather. “Okay guys, it seems the weather has taken a very UNWELCOME turn for the worst…which means that the challenge for today has been cancelled.   
  
All the gathered contestants blinked at him. “Say what now?” Perconte asked.    
  
Nixon just glared at the short man. “You heard me.” He answered grumpily, “No challenge. Go back to the house and be happy….bastards.”   
  
“ Hell YEAH!” Luz cheered as he leapt to his feet, glad that they were finally going to have some time to sit back and relax. “Let’s get wasted- who’s with me?”   
  
The others cheered and left the arena.   
  
Dick walked over to stand next to the unhappy Nixon, giving him a cautious look. “This may set production back if the weather persists.”   
  
Suddenly Lewis turned to him with a large smile on his face. “Oh no. That was all a ruse. We have a challenge planned alright. Assemble the crew!” The host called out with a wave of his finger as he turned and walked away.   
  
Winters stared at his retreating friend in confusion. What challenge? And why did no one ever tell him anything?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ What the Hell?” Don gaped at the large lodge that he had been driven to once their ferry had reached a nearby island. “What am I doing here?”   
  
Harry grinned at him, “This is what Nixon likes to call the Casa de Losers. We keep all the eliminated contestants here for production reasons.”   
  
“ Which are?” Don asked.   
  
“ None of your concern.”   
  
“ Right.”   
  
Don dragged his things into the fancy cabin-like structure and didn’t make it two feet before he was tackled to the ground by a recently departed friend.    
  
“ Thank God you’re here!” Skip babbled as he sat atop of the red head’s chest. “Well not that you lost- that sucks- but that you’re here! With me!”   
  
Don grinned up at him, and just as Skip was about to say some more nonsense, he leant up and placed a not so quick kiss to the other man’s lips. The blonde stilled as the kiss deepened and they probably would have remained that way if Harry hadn’t cleared his throat.   
  
Skip pulled away and stared down at Don in shock. “Umm…what?”   
  
Malarkey just continued to beam at him, “I’m sorry I’m so thick sometimes. I missed you.”   
  
“ Can you two do this later?” Harry asked them, “I have to get back. You’re going to love watching what Nix has planned for those suckers.”   
  
“ Watching?” Don looked curiously to Skip as the other man got off of him and helped him to his feet.   
  
Skip waved Harry off. “I’ll explain everything to him Welsh.”   
  
Harry shrugged and left the lodge as Skip grabbed Don’s wrist excitedly and began to pull him further into their new residence. “We basically get to just chill here, shoot the shit AND we get to watch ALL the footage from the show!”   
  
“ Seriously?” Don asked before realizing, “Then you must have seen that thing…with Sobel.”   
  
Skip stopped momentarily to glare at him playfully. “YES I did and while I’m saddened that you were tempted to go over to the dark side I know that you saw the error of your ways and also…it was sweet that you were trying to avenge me…or whatever.”   
  
Don blushed. “So…seen anything interesting?”   
  
That caused the other man to laugh. “Have I seen anything interesting? Well Don- Joe’s got a secret of colossal proportions, Luz is a sneaky bastard-”   
  
“ HE DRUGGED ME!” A voice interjected from out of sight. “HOW IS THAT FAIR!?”   
  
“ YEAH YEAH CHUCK AND HE OWES ME 40 BUCKS! WE GET IT!” Skip hollered back. He addressed Don again, “And get this- Babe is only 17!”   
  
“ Really?”   
  
“ Yeah and he- oh Shifty don’t give me that look everyone already knows you don’t have to keep it a secret anymore!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz decided that this was the perfect time to facilitate a game that had somehow managed to not be played thus far. He hopped up on the couch and gave a quick whistle. Everyone smirked and looked over at him.    
  
“ Holy shit- you’re almost as tall as your boyfriend,” Liebgott snarked at him. Luz flipped him the finger but smiled at the sentiment, sending a sly look at Jo before Buck laughed and looped an arm around Luz’s leg and the brunette remembered just who Liebgott had been referring to.    
  
“ Whatever. BOOZE guys! Collect it! Cherish it! Bring it back here to the living room. It’s time to bring back a poker classic and I want you ALL in. Haha get it?”    
  
There were eye rolls, shrugs and possibly some fear, but everyone seemed cool with it and in a matter of moments there was a gathering around the pool table, which was the widest surface on which that many people could play poker.    
  
Although it seemed there were a couple less to worry about. Luz frowned, “Where are Babe and Gene?”   
  
“ Not here.” Webster replied as he switched the tequila bottle between him and Joe with one filled with vodka.    
  
George grumbled. He could get SOBEL to play but he couldn’t get Babe to play? That was sad. “Alright,” he spoke up. “If you don’t know the rules to THIS game…then I feel for you. Because it’s pretty much the best invention since shower sex.”   
  
“ I think shower sex came after this.” Toye commented, causing George to lean forward across the pool table and smirk at him.    
  
“ And how do you even know what I’m talking about?” he asked.   
  
Jo actually laughed at him. “Please. I know how your freaky mind works. I’m surprised you haven’t initiated a game of strip poker earlier.”   
  
Luz clapped his hands together and grinned, “You DO know me!”   
  
“ Strip poker?” Bill asked dubiously. “This sounds like a bad idea all around.”   
  
Jo nudged a can of beer at him, “Chug three of these and you’ll like the idea better.”   
  
“ You just wanna sneak a peek at my hot body.” Bill deadpanned causing Liebgott to snort.   
  
Toye did the exaggerated stretch move that allowed his arm to come to rest around Bill’s shoulders. “I have NO idea what you’re talking about.”   
  
The others laughed at the insinuation as well but Sobel could tell that Luz was none too amused by it. God the man was so OBVIOUS. Herbert wished they made it that easy on his team because he would have exploited the shit out of the Buck/Luz/Toye situation a long, long time ago. Although, Sobel considered with a look at the red team’s Captain, Speirs had to be doing something with it. It was a testament to the other Captain’s finesse that Sobel couldn’t for the life of him figure out what it was.   
  
Sobel was surprised they even wanted him to stay and play, though it was likely because they assumed or hoped that he might get embarrassed. But this was a game that was kind of like those Truth or Dare or I’ve Never games. Reactions could tell you things about people. So he might as well stick around.    
  
“ Alright everybody shut up and listen to the rules!” Luz hollered in his best Nixon impersonation which sent a wave of laughter around the table. “Here’s how this works. No ante but if you want to bet you put whatever piece of clothing you want out there. To call, you have to at LEAST match that piece of clothing. If they bet a shoe you have to call a shoe, a shirt then a shirt. If you raise, be sure it’s with something better than you bet with. ‘The object of this game is to collect as many of your competitors clothes as possible’. And obviously if you’re butt ass naked then you’re out!”   
  
“ What game?” Speirs asked from beside Lipton.    
  
Luz grinned as he shuffled the deck, “With so many people? Texas Hold ‘Em.”   
  
“ Man I don’t wanna sound like a pervert,” said a voice from behind Speirs and they all looked to see Babe standing there, “but it’s too bad Christenson isn’t here to play. Because he’s hot AND he sucks at poker.”   
  
Perconte waved a finger, “No, no. He SAYS he sucks as poker. But he’s probably great at it even though he only learned it like a week ago.”   
  
“ Where do you think you’re going?” Luz asked as the young red head began to move away from the table.   
  
Babe looked confused. “Upstairs?” he answered with a point to the ceiling.   
  
“ Why?”   
  
“ Because I have a hot, half naked Cajun in my room?”   
  
“… .You’re excused.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ I’m not really sure about this.” Gene muttered as he propped his chin on top of his folded arms. When Babe had pulled Gene’s shirt over his head and told him to lie down on the bed, for SOME reason he hadn’t anticipated that it was because he had wanted to give Gene a massage.   
  
Gene felt the mattress dip slightly as the younger man straddled his waist and he heard Babe snort behind him, “Please-you’re incredibly tense. I’m not sure who’s more tightly wound- you or Speirs.”   
  
Babe rubbed his hands together quickly and blew on them so that they wouldn’t be cold when he brought them to Gene’s bare shoulders. He smiled, thinking that it was pretty adorable that Gene was so nervous about a little massage. Though Babe couldn’t see his face he had a feeling that the other man was blushing.    
  
Slowly, just to get Gene used to the feel of his hands, he ghosted over Gene’s dipped spine with his fingertips. When the other man shivered Babe asked, “Are my hands cold?”   
  
“ No.” Gene whispered.    
  
Babe flattened his palms on Gene’s back and slowly slid them up to his shoulders. He traced the other man’s shoulder blades with his thumbs and applied a slight bit of pressure. He grinned when he heard the smallest of sighs escape Gene’s lips.   
  
This was going to be fun.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Son of a BITCH!” Frank cursed as he lost his third hand in a row. Both of his shoes and socks were gone and he had managed to convince the others to let him add his watch. Now his shirt was in the pile as well.    
  
“ Just you and me now, Lip.” Luz, who was wearing Frank’s watch in triumph, smiled over at his blonde teammate.    
  
Speirs eyed Lipton’s cards and then studied Luz’s face. Lipton was doing fairly well having only lost a shoe. And while Speirs certainly wouldn’t mind seeing him in less clothes, he didn’t like the idea of Lipton having to get naked in front of everyone. So, even though they were a long way from that, Speirs scooted his chair closer to Lipton’s.   
  
He leaned over to whisper into the blond man’s ear. “Luz has a tell.” He informed him. Lipton paused before looking at Speirs in confusion.   
  
The other man put his mouth comfortably close to Ron’s ear and asked. “How can you know what it is so early on?”   
  
Instead of telling Lipton that he was just that good at reading people, even poker hustlers like Luz, he answered with, “When his cards are bad, he looks off to the right and he smiles at everyone. When his cards are good, he stares you down and only smiles at Toye.”   
  
Lipton trusted Ron’s advice enough to observe Luz before making the decision whether to bet his shirt, to be added to his other shoe already in the pot, or fold. Luz grinned over at Jo before piercing Lipton with his gaze. Lipton sighed at the alleged tell which indicated that Luz’s poker hand was a good one. “I’ll fold.”   
  
He tossed his cards into the center of the pool table and Luz crowed triumphantly. He now had four shoes, a shirt, a watch and a chain necklace that Penkala had been wearing. Webster frowned at him, “What on Earth did you have?” he wondered.   
  
Though Luz didn’t normally like to show his cards he flipped them over just to gloat. “Just a little royal straight is all.”   
  
Lipton figured that beat his three of a kind pretty solidly and gave Ron a grateful grin. “Thanks.”   
  
Ron smiled back at him, “You’re welcome. Though don’t expect much more help from me, I gave you a tip on your stiffest competition. You should do pretty well on your own.”   
  
“ Speirs you have to stop smiling, it creeps us out,” Penkala said in response to the gentle smile the red captain had given Lipton, only to have Speirs glare fiercely at him, “…or you could do whatever you want to.”   
  
Luz laughed and handed the cards to Webster, who was seated to his left. “Shuffle up and deal, Web.”   
  
Webster sighed at the fact that Joe’s nickname for him had stuck so definitively, but did as he was told.   
  
“ Maybe you’ll actually play a hand this time.” Joe teased him taking in Webster’s fully clothed appearance. Liebgott himself had lost both of his shoes- one to Luz and one to Bill.    
  
Webster dealt the cards and Toye took a peak at his first one, an ace. That was always a promising start. The next card was…another ace. Pocket rockets. He attempted to play it cool, not wanting anyone, least of all Speirs, to see that he had a good hand.    
  
The bet fell to Webster, who checked. Liebgott snorted, called him a chicken, and then bet both of his socks. Bill called, tossing his shoes on the pool table and Jo matched it with his remaining shoe and a sock. Speirs called with both his shoes, Lipton and Perconte folded, Penkala called with his socks and Sobel had at this point declined to play because he didn’t want to touch ANYONE’S socks. Evans was already down to his shirt and boxers and folded.   
  
Buck called with his shoes and said, “And I’ll raise a shirt.” He then pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the pool table.    
  
Luz gave his bare chest an appreciative eye. “Way to raise before the flop. I’ll fold.”   
  
“ Me too.” Webster decided and Liebgott rolled his eyes at the move. “I’ll call.” Joe said and tossed his shirt in. Bill, momentarily distracted by counting Liebgott’s ribs, added his shirt to the mix only to reveal he had a wife beater on underneath it.   
  
“ Seriously?” Toye asked in regards to the undershirt before pulling his red team shirt off and adding it in.    
  
“ Shit man. Cut much?” Liebgott asked in awe as he saw Toye’s remarkably flat abs.    
  
Jo laughed at the attention and stood up to jokingly trace a line over his six pack and toss Liebgott a flirtatious grin, “Hell yeah. You like?”   
  
Liebgott raised an eyebrow as though it were a dumb question. “Uh yeah? You could bounce a fucking quarter off those.”   
  
“ You’re welcome to try.” Jo laughed.   
  
“ Are you two done flirting yet?” Luz snapped at them.   
  
“ Yeah do you guys need a room or can we play cards?” Webster asked with a roll of his eyes.   
  
Toye shook his head and sat down as all the other guys folded their cards. Liebgott made an annoyed face at David. “Webster you aren’t even playing this hand so don’t get your panties in a wad.”   
  
David just glared at him before slapping the flop down incredibly hard in the middle of the table and then taking an exaggerated swig from the vodka bottle he and Liebgott were sharing.   
  
Jo tried not to suck in a breath when he saw the ace, queen and three of spades in the flop. Now he had three aces and knew for a fact that Buck didn’t have two aces as well. The bet was to Liebgott, who folded with a grumble, apparently not finding the hand he had been hoping for.   
  
Bill shrugged and peeled his wife beater off to put in the middle of the pool table. Jo knew there was no way he could pass up the chance at four of a kind or a possible full house with aces high. So he stood up and put his fingers under the waist band of his athletic shorts and slowly shimmied out of them to catcalls and whistles.   
  
“ Toye,” Perconte said as the other man put his shorts on the table to reveal his maroon boxer briefs, “as one of the lone straight guys in this house- you seriously could be an underwear model. Your body is sick.”   
  
Luz silently agreed but was too busy looking at Toye’s lean and muscled body to say anything. He was so distracted by his hip bones that he didn’t realize people were now hollering because Buck was taking off his pants in order to call Bill and Jo’s bets.    
  
When David placed the next card out on the table, the turn was an ace and Bill cursed and tossed his cards towards Webster. “I fold.” He groused.    
  
Jo stared at the ace, it was possibly the best hand he’d ever had. He grinned. “I’m going all in.”   
  
“ No fucking way!” Penkala gaped. “How many hands have we played and people are already getting naked?”   
  
“ I fucking love this game.” Luz announced.    
  
Just as Toye was about to take his underwear off, there was a brief flickering of lights and then total darkness.    
  
“ Oh come ON!?”   
  


 

 

 

 

 

At some point during the “massage” that Babe was giving Gene, their positions had been reversed- with Gene straddling a pinned down Babe- and their mouths had apparently gotten stuck together. Gene, however, pulled away from Babe when the lights went out. He wasn’t sure what had happened exactly, as the lights hadn’t been on in their room anyhow, but he noticed that the digital clock on the wall was beginning to flash the same numbers over and over again.    
  
“ Did the power just go out?” he wondered to the teen beneath him.   
  
Babe looked up at him as though he were crazy. “Who cares?” He asked before grabbing Gene behind the neck and pulling the other man back down to him so that he could crush their mouths together in a continuation of their earlier activity. Gene didn’t have it in him to resist.    
  
  
  
  
  
“ Are you shitting me?”   
  
“ What the fuck?”   
  
“ I can’t see shit!”   
  
“ That’s because the power’s out genius.”   
  
“ So Toye…are you naked?”   
  
“ NO!”   
  
“ Luz!?”   
  
“ What? I can’t be curious?”   
  
“ Alright everybody shut up!” Speirs snapped over the chatter of the two teams. He reached his left arm out to lightly feel for where Lipton should be. If it had been any other day the lights going out would not have been such an issue, but they were currently in a room with no windows, not to mention that the sky outside was already grey and only getting darker.   
  
When his hand tentatively connected with Lipton’s shoulder he said, “I’m going to go outside and check the circuit breaker.”   
  
He heard Buck ask, “What difference does it make if the weather just knocked the power out anyway?”   
  
“ I don’t think the weather did.” Ron answered him.    
  
Under his hand he felt Lipton shift towards him. “What do you mean?” the blonde asked.    
  
“ I think that this is all too coincidental. Meaning that it was planned. Probably as a challenge by Nixon.”   
  
“ Or you’re a paranoid fuck.” Liebgott countered.   
  
Speirs shrugged, although he knew it couldn’t be seen. “Believe whatever you want. I’m going to go and see if our power’s been cut. Red team, assume that this is a challenge and STAY PUT. Understand?”   
  
He received multiple affirmations that they did. However Lipton cut in, “I’m coming with you.”   
  
“ No-you’re going to stay here.” Ron told him.   
  
He felt the warmth of Lipton’s shoulder disappear as the man stood up. “I’d like to see you try and make me  _ Captain _ .”   
  
Ron felt a smile begin to form on his face. “Fine,” He stood as well, then reached forward and found Lipton’s hand and held it tightly, “Let’s go then.”   
  
After they left, Bill stood up with a sigh, “Alright I’m gonna go and get my flash light out of my bag. I’ll be right back.”   
  
“ Hey!” Liebgott yelped, “Who the fuck just grabbed my ass?”   
  
Luz cursed silently, wrong Joseph…oh well.   
  
  
Gene pulled away from Babe once more in confusion. He could have sworn he heard something out in the hallway. At Babe’s frustrated groan he spoke. “I’m sorry but do you  _ hear _ that?”   
  
Babe sighed but strained to hear a noise. “Wait…does it sound like…like footsteps?”   
  
“ Yes!” Gene nodded, “I swear it sounds like there’s someone out in the-”   
  
Just then the door was busted open violently and crashed into the wall, the two contestants gaped as a masked intruder stormed into the room and activated a rather noisy chainsaw.   
  
The two lovebirds let out startled screams that echoed throughout the house.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nixon watched the footage coming in from their night vision cameras and laughed, “Never EVER have sex in the horror film. You won’t make it past the opening credits.”   
  
Dick watched curiously from beside him. “I think I’m actually going to enjoy watching this challenge.”   
  
Lewis beamed over at his friend, “I knew you’d come around.”   
  
“ Provided, of course, that no one gets hurt.”   
  
“ Of course.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Shit did you guys hear that?” Liebgott asked.    
  
“ That was a fucking chainsaw!” Perconte cursed. “Okay this is fucking weird.”   
  
“ I’m getting the F-U-C-K out of here.” Penkala told them.    
  
“ Just wait until Speirs gets back.” Buck told him sternly, but Penkala wasn’t having it.   
  
“ Gets back? He’s never getting back!” Alex answered. “He’s probably getting sawed into itty bitty pieces!”   
  
“ Calm the Hell down.” Luz snapped, irritated by Penkala’s freak out.   
  
“ I think Speirs could beat a chain saw,” Evans added to the conversation.   
  
There was the scraping sound of a chair being pushed back and a flurry of movement. “Penk?”   
Jo called out. When he received no answer he sighed. “Great. He just took off.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Back in the Casa de Losers Skip was shaking his head. He leaned towards Don. “Alex watches WAY too many horror movies.” He informed the red head.   
  
Don frowned in confusion, “So shouldn’t he know how to survive one?”   
  
Skip sighed, “Sadly no…he’s way too terrified of them. Which begs the question- why watch so many?”   
  
  
  
  
  
Liebgott, however, was focused on something other than Penkala’s freak out. “Did you guys hear screaming?” he wondered to the remaining contestants.   
  
Buck pursed his lips and gave the question some thought, “Maybe...it was hard to hear over that chainsaw sound.”   
  
“ Although,” Luz added from Buck’s side, “this whole little incident just makes me believe more firmly that Speirs' challenge theory was right. So even if someone were screaming, they’re probably fine.”   
  
But Joe shook his head, “Or that could be Babe and Gene and they might NOT be fine. I’m going to go find them.”   
  
“ What?” Webster asked in confusion. “Joe they’re probably okay. Bill wanted us to wait here.”   
  
“ Yeah well he ain’t the fucking boss of me.” Joe snapped back.   
  
“ But it’ll be easier to find them with a flashlight.” David argued.   
  
Joe was already standing up. “You wait,” he told David, “but I’m going.”   
  
“ Well then let me go with you.” Webster said as he began to stand and attempted to follow Joe. His eyes were beginning to adjust to the dark and he could see the faintest outline of the other man’s figure retreating further into darkness.   
  
However he didn’t get very far before he tripped over what felt suspiciously like someone’s foot. “Whoops did I just trip you?” Sobel’s voice asked from somewhere above him. “I’m sorry about that, let me help you up.”   
  
Sobel helped a groaning Webster to his feet. Now that he had separated him from Liebgott all it would take was a few well placed words to plant in Webster’s head the seeds of suspicion that would help to turn him against Liebgott.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Bill had finally located his bedroom after multiple attempts rummaging through the dark. He got his hands on his bag and dug through it before he felt the cold metal of the maglite he had packed. Pulling the flashlight out he twisted it on and an intense beam of light lit up the room before him.   
  
He turned around and shone the light towards the door, only to come face to face with a very large, very CLOSE man wearing a black ski mask.   
  
“ Shit!” he cursed in surprise, but didn’t pull back in fear. “What the Hell is this? Nixon’s idea of a joke?” He asked the man.   
  
Said man, however, was not laughing. He reached out and grabbed Bill fiercely by the arm and swung him into the wall. Bill reared his other arm back to strike at him but before his fist could connect he felt a cloth covering his mouth and nose as he slowly drifted into darkness.   
  
The flashlight fell to the floor with a thud.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Where are we?” Lipton asked the shadowy figure next to him that he knew to be Ron.   
  
Ron glanced over at him. “We’re almost to the back door. I notice you aren’t whispering. I like that.”   
  
“ Well we’re hardly the nosiest people in this house. People in West Virginia probably heard Alex shrieking.”   
  
Speirs let out a snort of laughter as he reached the back door. “Right. Okay we’re here.” He put the hand not clutching Lipton on the door and felt for the handle. When he found it he gave it a twist and a pull. It didn’t open.   
  
“ It’s locked.” He informed Lipton.   
  
Lipton shook his head, “And it’s never been locked all the time we’ve been here, because only the staff has the keys for all the deadbolts.”   
  
“ Exactly,” Ron agreed, “So whatever Nixon’s planning- he means for us not to leave the house. He must have cut the power and then locked all the doors. Let’s get back to the others and check the sliding door near the pool to see if they locked that one too.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ We’re locked in?” Perconte asked, concern coloring his voice. “That sounds really bad.”   
  
“ Don’t worry. If we’ve been locked in then it means it was done by the crew.” Lipton assured him. “They’re the only ones who have all the keys.”   
  
“ So this is a challenge.” Luz concluded.   
  
“ Looks that way.” Speirs said, “We tried the doors out to the pool on our way back here. They’ve been sealed shut as well.”   
  
“ Where the Hell is Bill?” Toye wondered, “He left right after you guys did.”   
  
Speirs shrugged, “We didn’t come across him.”   
  
Jo shook his head. “I don’t like this. Challenge or not. I’m going to go look for him.” He declared as he began to stand up.   
  
Luz launched himself out of his chair and landed atop the clothes on the pool table as he grasped Jo’s wrist to halt his movement. “Jo if you go after him then you’ll just be helping out the other team!”   
  
Toye sighed, “Luz how many people have already gotten hurt during all these innocent little challenges?”   
  
“ It’s Bill. He’s fine.” Luz tried to argue.   
  
But Jo just pulled his wrist out of Luz’s grip. “I’m going. That’s final.”   
  
“ Well then we’re going to go with you.” Luz stated, climbing over the pool table to stand by Jo. “Right Buck?”   
  
Buck smiled in the dark, “Yeah- we’ll all go.”   
  
“ Great!” Perconte said in sarcasm, “Let’s all split up. No one ever dies THAT way.”   
  
“ Actually splitting up may not be the worst idea at this point.” Speirs said.   
  
“ Why’s that?” Webster asked.   
  
Suddenly there was a shriek from Evans and a clamor of noise and they all looked over to see a new and large figure in their midst.   
  
“ Because Penkala likely gave away our position.” Speirs informed them before grabbing Lipton’s hand and dragging him off towards the stairs.   
  
“ SCATTER!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Man where the fuck am I?” Liebgott wondered to himself as he walked down another dark hallway. He hadn’t thought this through very well. Had they been in Gene and his room? Or had they been in Babe’s? He had thought Babe said they’d been in his room.    
  
Unfortunately Joe had no idea where Babe’s room was. Wasn’t he roomed with Webster? Shit he couldn’t remember. And on top of all that the drugs he had taken earlier were starting to make him twitchy…amongst other things. Such as horny, which was a random and sometimes welcome side effect. Although it wasn’t particularly welcome right now, since there wasn’t anyone around to have sex with.    
  
Not that he was going to have sex with any of the contestants anyway. Especially not after that incident with Babe. Sure he may have thought about Webster that way like…a lot. But thinking and doing were two different things. For one, should he sleep with anyone it would surely get caught on tape and he didn’t really need Tipper to see that and officially declare him a train wreck.   
  
Secondly, Webster was already too up in his business. He had the suspicion that the guy might actually  _ care _ about him. And sex only intensified or complicated already existing feelings. He already had one person who cared about him that he had to constantly be a disappointment to. He didn’t really need another.    
  
As he was thinking on this, he didn’t hear the sound of the door being opened in the hall bathroom. As he walked past it, there was the sudden pressure of a hand on his arm and the next thing he knew he was being pulled inside the room and the door was slamming shut.   
  
He gaped in shock as a light shone in his face. “What the fuck?” He put his hand up to shield his eyes. “Shine that OFF of me!”   
  
The light retreated and he looked up from where he had fallen on the floor to see the show’s intern, Floyd Talbert, looking at him sheepishly. “Sorry.” The intern apologized, gesturing to the light.    
  
Liebgott shook his head, “What the HELL is going on?”   
  
Floyd plopped down to the floor and reached up to lock the bathroom from the inside. “It’s a challenge.” He informed his favorite contestant.   
  
Joe looked confused. “How so?”   
  
“ Nixon cut off the power and locked you all inside. He’s got Martin and Bull running around in ski masks and snatching you guys. The last one left wins it for their team.”   
  
“ That is really fucking devious,” Liebgott concluded, “and kind of brilliant.”   
  
Floyd just nodded enthusiastically.   
  
“ So why am I in here with you?” Joe asked.   
  
The intern looked embarrassed for a moment. “I didn’t want you to get caught.” He mumbled. “They won’t find you in here.”   
  
Liebgott just stared at him before saying, “That…is actually really cool. Huh. I guess you aren’t as big of a loser as I thought.”   
  
The other man just grinned, “So you’ll stay put?” he asked the blue contestant.   
  
“ Why not?” Joe shrugged. It would be an easy win. The only problem was that he would be locked up in a room with the intern and horny as shit from the drugs. Wait a second…   
  
Joe turned and gave Talbert a quick once over. “Are there any cameras in here?”   
  
The intern shook his head, “Nah Winters was pretty adamant that you guys get SOME form of privacy. Why?”   
  
Liebgott quickly grabbed the intern by his shirt and pressed him to the ground, climbing on top of him. “I just thought of a great way to pass the time is all.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Okay, so they grabbed Evans.” Webster noted as he and Sobel crouched down behind a counter in the kitchen.    
  
Sobel nodded. “And likely Liebgott too. Babe, Gene and Bill are all goners. It doesn’t look good for our team.”   
  
“ You don’t know that Liebgott was caught.” Webster hissed back.    
  
The Blue captain rolled his eyes. “You certainly are invested in Liebgott aren’t you?” he asked the man next to him.    
  
“ That’s really none of your business.” David told him.    
  
“ Maybe,” Sobel conceded, “but I can’t help but notice that he doesn’t really seem to care about you all that much. In fact, I’d say that he’s more interested in those drugs he’s taking then your feelings.”   
  
Webster glared at his team’s captain in anger. “You’re so pathetic. You hate him so much that you’re going to try and convince people that he’s some druggie?”   
  
Sobel laughed, “You really don’t see it do you? He’s a textbook meth user. You don’t need too much convincing to realize that. Although people seldom see what they want to ignore.”   
  
“ He’s sick okay?” Webster argued. “He already told me. He’s not using drugs, he’s taking medicine.”   
  
“ Is that so?” Sobel asked him, “Then tell me…what is he sick with? Has he even given you a hint?”   
  
“ He wanted to keep it private.”    
  
“ Or…there isn’t anything wrong with him.”   
  
Webster remained silent. Had Liebgott been lying to him? Was he even really sick? It wasn’t as if Webster was a damn doctor, how would he know? Maybe he needed to talk to a doctor. He had sworn he’d get to the bottom of this…   
  
“ I’ve got to go.” Webster declared as he stood up from the kitchen floor. “I’m going to go get caught.”   
  
“ What!?” Sobel asked in alarm, standing up as well. “You can’t do that, we’ll lose the challenge!”   
  
Webster pointed behind Sobel’s head. “I think we just did.”   
  
Sobel looked at him in confusion before turning to see what he was pointing at. Standing behind him was the same large man that had grabbed Evans. The blue captain tried to turn and run but he was swiftly stopped as the masked man grabbed him by the back of his shirt.    
  
Webster held his hands up in surrender as the man rounded on him, “I’m coming, no need for violence.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Are we even close?” Luz asked for the twentieth time.   
  
Toye laughed softly. “Lemme guess. You were the kid who always asked ‘Are we there yet?’”   
  
George smiled, “Please you know you’re charmed by my incessant nagging.”   
  
“ Of course.”   
  
“ Toye are you cold?” Buck asked, “Because I for one am freezing my ass off.”   
  
“ Little bit.” Jo answered.   
  
“ Well I can certainly think of worse ways to spend my day then chilling in the dark with two scantily clad, hot men.” Luz joked.   
  
“ I’m sure you’re enjoying yourself immensely.” Buck laughed.   
  
“ Yeah,” Toye agreed. “And I didn’t say anything earlier but for the record Luz, Buck is on your left- I’m on your right. Please stop grabbing my ass.”   
  
“ Whoops,” Luz chuckled nervously, “honest mistake.”   
  
“ Hey guys this is our room.” Jo pointed out as they passed an open door.   
  
“ Okay?” Buck asked, confused.   
  
“ So I’m gonna go inside and grab us some clothes.” Toye said. “You guys wait here.”   
  
They waited as Jo disappeared into their room. Buck paused for a moment. “Hey Luz?”   
  
“ Yeah Buck?”   
  
“ Do you…hear something?”   
  
“ No. But I kinda feel like someone’s breathing down my neck. How close are you?”   
  
“ Not close at all.”   
  
Luz turned around to see a masked face looking down at him. “Buck run!” he shouted as he was grabbed.   
  
Buck turned to do just that but hit a brick wall of a man, also masked, that had been sneaking up behind him.   
  
Luz kicked and struggled as he was hauled into the air. “Two of them? How is that fair!?”   
  
But before he could say anything else a cloth was placed over his mouth and nose and everything began to fade out. He only hoped that the commotion had been enough to keep Toye from coming back out into the hall.   
  
  
  
  
  
Webster raised his eyebrows in confusion as he watched Winters and Nixon drag a knocked out Luz into the infirmary where both he and Sobel had been taken by Harry after Martin had shoved them out the back door of the mansion.    
  
“ What the Hell happened to him?” He asked.    
  
“ The same thing that happened to me.” Bill answered as he stumbled into the room clutching his head.   
  
“ Martin got a little chloroform happy.” Nixon told them.   
  
Webster turned to Bill. “Where are all the other eliminated contestants?”   
  
Bill pointed back over his shoulder. “They’re in the other room, talking to Christenson.”   
  
“ Who’s still in the house?”   
  
“ Lipton, Speirs, Toye, Perconte and Liebgott.” Winters answered for him.    
  
David nodded as he stood before asking, “Where’s Renee? I need to talk to her.”   
  
“ Are you sick?” Winters asked him in concern.   
  
“ No, nothing like that. I just need her professional opinion on something.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
So far their plan to lay low near the staircase had been working out. Speirs turned lightly   
to address Lipton. “There are only two ways to win this. Option A is to wait it out until everyone else is eliminated. Option B involves us taking these guys down head on….I vote for Option B.”   
  
Lipton made a face. “Even if we did somehow overtake them, would we still win? I mean there might still be other people left in the house and-”   
  
Ron jolted upright in alarm as Lipton was jerked backwards and away from him. One of the masked intruders must have snuck up on them. It was too dark to see someone dressed in all black!   
  
Still the situation ignited his instincts and it was flight or fight. Turned out that when it came to Lipton he’d go for fight.   
  
Since he wasn’t sure how far away they were, Ron swung his arm widely at something above Lipton’s head that he hoped was the intruder and his fist connected to it with a satisfying thud. There was a curse and a hiss and Lipton fell to the floor.   
  
“ Move!” Speirs shouted down to Lipton, who scrambled out of the way. Ron kicked out a leg to sweep their attacker off his feet and to the floor. As the man struggled to get up he delivered a quick kick to the man’s ribs and was about to turn, grab Lipton and run. However he didn’t get the chance as a large hand came around his neck and placed a cloth on his face.   
  
Recognizing the chloroform he jabbed his assailant swiftly in the gut with his elbow. The man grunted and released him. As he turned to swing at the man once more, Speirs stumbled into the wall, woozy from the drug. When the man reached out to grab his shoulder tightly, Ron pulled him close by grabbing his hand and head butted him roughly.    
  
The man dropped to the floor, the weight of him dragging Ron down as well. He crawled over to where Lipton lay unconscious, momentarily forgetting that it was a challenge, with panic building inside of him.    
  
Just as he reached Lipton one of the two men grabbed his foot to pull him away and he flipped onto his back and stomped the man’s face with his other foot. He weakly pulled himself over to Lipton just in time to pass out next to the other man, the chloroform overtaking him.    
  
Martin struggled to his feet and took off his now bloody mask momentarily. He glanced at Bull, “You okay?”   
  
“ Gimme a minute. That boy kicked me good.”   
  
“ Yeah no shit. We don’t get paid enough.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nixon gaped as Martin and Bull both entered, a dejected Perconte marching in front of them.    
  
Bull had Lipton slung over his shoulder and Martin was dragging Speirs behind him.    
  
“ You guys aren’t authorized to leave the house!” He reprimanded them.   
  
“ It’s just for a minute.” Martin glowered at him. “We locked it up, they aren’t going anywhere.”   
  
As they sent Perco off to the others and came closer with their two unconscious burdens, Nixon’s irritation turned into glee when he saw them.   
  
“ AHAHAHA! Oh God! What the Hell happened to you two?” He asked them as he howled with laughter and gestured to their bruised and bleeding faces.   
  
Martin let Speirs fall to the floor gracelessly. “He happened.”   
  
Winters frowned at the state of the unconscious contestants. “Guys we  _ just _ radioed you two and told you to lay off the chloroform.”   
  
Bull shook his head as he lay Lipton down in a chair then pointed at Ron. “That boy was on a war path. He head butted me and that was AFTER we chloroformed him.”   
  
Harry popped up behind them. “Told you he was a badass.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Renee I was wondering if you could answer a question for me.” David spoke to the doctor who was distracted by the mini party that Christenson seemed to be inspiring with the other contestants.   
  
She tore her fond gaze from the injured man and shrugged at Webster. “I can try. What is it you want to know?”   
  
“ When Liebgott did his physical for this show…did he mention some sort of pre-existing condition or illness?” Webster asked.   
  
Renee sighed, “David you understand I cannot tell you these things. They are confidential.”   
  
David nodded quickly, “I understand…sorry. But did he..did he had to take a drug test?”   
  
At this question Renee frowned in confusion. “You all did.”   
  
It was a direct answer, and yet it didn’t satisfy his curiosity. He needed to see Liebgott’s medical files.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In the end Toye didn’t go out with much fanfare, which was unfortunate. He had been walking around looking for Luz and Buck, in vain he knew, when he had run into Bull.   
  
He had turned to run, but being that it was dark he didn’t see Martin standing by the stairs behind him. He hit the masked security personnel hard and the two had gone tumbling down the rather long flight of stairs.   
  
Bull watched them fall with a cringe. It seemed like they may never stop rolling but they eventually hit the bottom floor with a thud. He saw Martin stagger to his feet. “Y’all alright?” he called down to him.   
  
Martin gave him a thumbs up before looking down at Toye, “I think he knocked himself out. Come give me a hand with him, I’m a little woozy from having my ass kicked by a flight of stairs.”   
  
“ And Speirs.” Bull reminded him as he descended the stairs to collect Toye.    
  
“ Shut it.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
While Renee and the other’s were distracted by Bull and Martin bringing in an injured Toye and announcing that the blue team had somehow won the challenge, David took it upon himself to go up to Christenson.   
  
“ Burton I need your help.” He told the bed ridden man.    
  
Burton looked at him as if he’d grown another head. “Uh…sure. What do you need?”   
  
“ Do you know where Renee keeps all of our medical files?”   
  
“ Yeah but…man I can’t tell you that!”   
  
“ Please Burton you have to help me.” David pleaded, “I’m seriously worried about Liebgott.”   
  
Christenson sighed. “Fine…she keeps the files for the contestants still in the game in her desk- unlocked for easy access. The records for the blue team are in the top right hand drawer.”   
  
David squeezed the man’s shoulder tightly in gratitude. “Thank you.”   
  
He rushed out of the room and carefully avoided Renee, the crowd around Jo, and the conniption fit that Luz was throwing at hearing that Toye probably had a concussion.    
  
Sneaking into Renee’s office, Webster quickly pulled open the drawer Burton had sent him to and leafed through a series of folders, including his own, before finding the one with Joe’s name on it.   
  
He flipped it open and scanned the contents eagerly. According to this there was nothing wrong with Joe. Renee had expressed a concern with his weight but he had no noteworthy ailments. His drug test had turned up negative…but they had only run a test for weed!   
  
Feelings of anger, confusion and concern warred inside of Webster as he slammed the file back in its place before going out to rejoin the others. All of the contestants, save Toye, were awake and had been assembled by Nixon.   
  
“ Since Liebgott is the only one who appears not to have been captured then that means the blue team wins this challenge! Red team- as the losers of this surprise challenge, which by the way I’m increibly proud of, you get to come and vote for the members of your team you want to send to the arena. And since the weather is taking a turn for the worse, again, we’re not giving you your normal three hours. We’re just gonna send for you whenever Toye comes around.” Nixon rambled on to them all.   
  
“ What about our cut off power?” Perconte demanded.   
  
“ It’s being fixed as we speak.” Winters told him.    
  
“ Dude we have to go and congratulate Joe!” Babe said in excitement.   
  
Bill laughed, “Totally dude.”   
  
“ Shut up.”    
  
“ Babe you’re such a dork.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Unfortunately, even with the power back on, no one seemed to know where the Hell Liebgott was.   
  
Just as Webster was about to go and tell the crew that he was missing, he saw the bathroom door open near Joe’s room. However it wasn’t Joe who walked out, but the show’s notoriously horny intern, Talbert.   
  
The intern’s hair was messed up, his clothes looked wrinkled and he was trying to hastily put his radio head set back on. When he noticed David staring at him he gave him a nervous wave and took off down the stairs.   
  
Webster’s worst suspicions were confirmed when Joe emerged from the same bathroom a moment later, as shirtless as he’d been in the game of strip poker but also buttoning up his jeans. Webster couldn’t take it anymore, he was sufficiently pissed off.   
  
“ You must think I’m just the BIGGEST TOOL in the entire world, don’t you?” David hissed as he began to approach Liebgott rapidly.   
  
Liebgott looked more like shit and less like he’d just gotten laid, as he was pale and shivering. Yet he still managed to look as offended as usual by David’s very existence. “What the Hell are you freaking out about?” he demanded.   
  
“ Oh really? Like you don’t KNOW?” Webster began to shout. “Not only are you a fucking liar but you’ll apparently screw anything that moves!” He gestured furiously in the direction of the retreating intern.   
  
“ Except for you.” Joe replied coolly. “Isn’t that what this is all about?”   
  
Webster froze and pinned Joe with a vicious glare. “You’re such an idiot. Do you honestly think that’s all I want from you?”   
  
“ You fucking tell me then because I can’t keep up with all your shit!” Joe shouted back.   
  
“ MY shit? MY shit? Really?” David laughed in disbelief. “Compared to you I’m the most well adjusted person on the goddamn planet!”   
  
“ Hey I told you that up front!” Liebgott argued with wide eyes, afraid of where this conversation might be going as well as the attention it was gaining from the cameras.    
  
“ Yeah you know what else you told me?” Webster asked before swiftly answering the question himself. “You told me you were sick! And like a jackass I believed you. Well guess what? You’re not sick! I checked your damn medical file. You lied to me! You don’t have any illness!”   
  
Joe felt as if he had turned to stone. He stared at Webster with murder in his eyes. “For once…why don’t you STAY OUT of my FUCKING BUSINESS!”   
  
Webster shook his head, “You know what I think I’m going to do? I think I’m going to go and see what exactly it is you keep in that little black box.”   
  
“ No!” Liebgott shouted before lunging at Webster and tackling him to the floor.   
  
“ Shit.” David cursed as he went falling backwards. Liebgott tried to get up and run towards his room, but Webster grabbed him by his belt loops and pulled him back down. “BILL!” he shouted off into the house, “BILL! GET UP HERE!”   
  
As he continued to struggle with Liebgott who was currently cursing Webster and all his relatives, Bill showed up with Speirs in tow.   
  
Bill looked down at them in shock, “What the fuck?”   
  
Liebgott stilled momentarily to look up at him. “Bill please you have to help me he’s-”   
  
Webster rolled his eyes, “Damn it Bill! I’m the one who called you! Get him off me! I need your help.”   
  
Seeing that he wasn’t going to gain Bill’s sympathy, Liebgott roughly shoved off of Webster and made a dash for his room but Bill caught him and, in a move reminiscent of the beginning of their friendship, hauled him into the bathroom kicking and screaming.   
  
He tossed Liebgott inside and pulled the door shut, keeping Liebgott from opening it by pulling back on the handle. “COOL DOWN!” He shouted into the closed door.   
  
Bill then turned to look at Webster. “Okay Web my curiosity’s officially peeked. I’ll ask again-what the fuck?”   
  
Webster pulled himself up off the floor, panting. “Come with me and I’ll explain everything. But we have to keep him in there for a while at least.”   
  
Ron stepped forward and grabbed the door handle, maneuvering Bill away. “I’ve got it. Go do what you have to do.”   
  
The two blue contestants nodded their thanks and David headed towards Joe and Gene’s room, gesturing for Bill to follow him.    
  
Once they were inside, Webster slammed the door, cutting off an upset Smokey who had been following them with his camera. He dropped his voice to the lowest of whispers. “I think Joe is on drugs.”   
  
Bill looked at the door as if it were Joe, and then back to Webster in shock. “What? Why?”   
  
“ You haven’t noticed all his weird behavior?” David asked.   
  
His teammate just shrugged, “He’s a weird guy.”   
  
“ His weight, his total disregard for his own health, his pale complexion, his irrational mood swings, the fact that he NEVER sleeps or is tired, scratching at his own skin until he bleeds? Then there's the fact that he just had sex with that intern he hates.” David informed him.    
  
“ Okay but that doesn’t mean he’s using-”   
  
But Webster cut him off. “Not to mention that he had track marks from a needle on his arms. When I asked him about it, he said they were from medicine that he had to inject himself with. That he was sick, he even showed me the black case he keeps his alleged medicine in.”   
  
Bill gaped at him. “Why the Hell didn’t you tell anyone about all of this?”   
  
Webster shrugged, “He asked me not to and I thought he was really sick.”   
  
“ What changed your mind?” Bill asked.   
  
“ I looked at his medical records. No illnesses or prescribed medications.”   
  
“ But weren’t we all drug screened?”   
  
David shook his head, “Not for meth.”   
  
“ _ Meth _ ? Are you shitting me?”   
  
“ Afraid not. Help me look for a small black case.” Webster said as he stalked towards Joe’s bed.   
  
Bill looked around before grabbing a nearby suitcase and using it to barricade the door so that no one could enter. He began to help Webster tear the room apart.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile Ron was having a surprisingly hard time keeping Joe locked up in the bathroom. The man wanted out and was almost pissed enough to get out too. Things were only further complicated when Perconte came to inform him that Toye had woken up and they were wanted on the beach to cast their votes.   
  
“ Shit.” He cursed before quickly asking Perconte to go and fetch Sobel for him. He was fairly certain the blue captain would have no qualms about keeping Liebgott locked in a bathroom against his will.   
  
  
  
  
“ Found it!” Webster exclaimed over his shoulder as he pulled up the mattress on Gene's bed. “He was stowing it under Gene’s mattress.”   
  
Bill turned away from the luggage he had been rummaging through to stare. “That’s not suspicious. Open it up then.”   
  
Webster did just that and stared down at the case’s contents which were an array of hypodermic needles already containing a yellow looking liquid. Even though he had been expecting it, something in David deflated at the sight of them. “Shit.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sobel hadn’t been on guard duty very long before the door was wrenched back out of his grip. Liebgott looked at him in fury. Sobel began to say, “I’ve been instructed not to let you out of this bathroom under any circumsta-”   
  
But Liebgott’s fist across his face shut him up pretty well. He fell to the floor with a groan as the man ran down the hallway to his bedroom and began to bang on the closed door, a camera in his face.   
  
  
  
  
Bill and Webster were torn away from their discussion of what to do with the drugs when someone began pounding on the door.   
  
“ Damn it David! Let me in!” Liebgott shouted viciously to them.    
  
Webster looked at Bill for a moment before nodding toward the door. “Let him in. Just him.”   
  
Bill stared, “What? Why would you do that?”   
  
“ He called me David. He’s scared. Just trust me.”   
  
“ Fine.”   
  
Bill had barely opened the door a crack before Liebgott wedged his way in. The cameramen were proving too difficult to keep out so Bill cast David a warning look before going into the hall to deal with them.    
  
Liebgott was no longer shouting, just staring at Webster and what he was holding with fear in his eyes. “So you caught me.” He said, sounding so very tired.   
  
David nodded, eyes never leaving Joe’s face. “Is it meth?” he asked.   
  
Joe swallowed heavily, “Y-yeah. It is.”   
  
“ I heard you…on the phone the other day. What have you gotten yourself into?” Webster asked even though he was scared of the answer.   
  
“ I never wanted you to find out.” Joe mumbled, “That’s why I….just couldn’t let anyone know. Especially not you.”   
  
Webster stared. “You need help.” He told him.   
  
Joe nodded quickly. “I know I…know I do.”   
  
“ You have to let me flush them.”   
  
At David’s words Liebgott’s eyes closed and he sucked in a deep breath. “If I..if I let you do that will you swear not to tell anyone else?”   
  
David looked at him in desperation, “Joe, I would  _ never _ use this against you. God..I just want to help you. To know you…that’s all I’ve wanted since the moment I realized you were more than you were letting everyone see.”   
  
Joe looked at the floor. “When they’re gone…I’m going to…it won’t be pretty.”   
  
With a nod Webster closed the distance between them and put a tentative hand on Joe’s shoulder, forcing the other man to meet his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”   
  
"Okay."

 


	13. Never Have I Ever

 

 

**Disclaimer:** _ I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and not the actual soldiers. Any ideas   
or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy! _

 

 

**On the Beach**

  
  
“ I’m telling you, this is important!”    
  
Nixon squeezed the ballot he was reading in frustration as the intern continued buzzing around him, going on about some fight between Liebgott and Webster.   
  
“ Damn it Talbert! We’re trying to count these ballots!” The host continued to snap at him as   
Dick gently pried the crumpled ballot from Lewis’s hand.   
  
The gathered red team watched the exchange in interest.   
  
“ But-”, the kid tried to protest.    
  
“ What you’re telling me isn’t news!” Nixon sighed in anger. “Webster and Liebgott fight all the time! Just make sure that you have a cameraman on it!”   
  
“ Well there ARE cameras over there but they’re all-”   
  
“ UGH! Would you shut up?”   
  
Talbert frowned and ignored Nixon, going for the more sensitive of the pair. “Listen,” he said to Dick, “Webster was freaking out and they were screaming at the top of their lungs! Then I saw them wrestling and that’s when Bill and Speirs ran up there. When Speirs left Joe freaked and punched Sobel and then I heard more shouting! Something is going on!”   
  
Dick listened intently to what he was being told. Trust Nixon to cut off the intern when he actually had something important to say. “I’m going to go and check this out.” He said to Nixon before walking off towards the trail leading from the beach back to the house.   
  
“ What? You can’t go!” Lewis cried, waving the ballots around. “You’ll miss the looks on their faces when they find out that Toye’s up for elimination again!”   
  
“ What?” Luz piped up. “Are you freaking serious?”   
  
Nixon tore his eyes away from Dick’s retreating form and glanced back at the ballots. “Uh yeah. Right. The two people competing in the arena tomorrow will be Toye and Penkala.”   
  
“ Aw man!” Penkala groaned.   
  
Speirs rolled his eyes at the man’s reaction but was glad at the outcome of the vote. As usual he and Buck had voted for Toye, but after the way Penkala had thrown the challenge by overreacting and drawing the “killers” right to them, everyone had voted for him overwhelmingly. Which was a good thing in Ron’s book, as he was their weakest player and Toye should be able to take him out no problem.   
  
Luz looked over at Toye, who was sitting in a daze. “Are you okay?”   
  
Jo shrugged slowly, “…Yeah.”   
  
His sluggish reaction caused Luz to frown. “You sure? You seem kind of out of it.” But Jo just nodded before slowly rising to his feet and stumbling away.    
  
Luz knew that something about the other man’s behavior was off and would have gone after him if Buck hadn’t come up to him.    
  
“ What’s going on?” the blonde asked, checking to see what Luz had been looking at.    
  
The shorter man shook his head. “Nothing, just wondering if we’ll ever find out who keeps voting for him.”   
  
“ Eventually we will. When the show’s over.”   
  
“ Yeah I guess.” Luz grumbled.   
  
Buck rolled his eyes and tossed an arm around George’s shoulder. “C’mon. What’s say you and I finish that game of strip poker on our own?”   
  
Luz grinned, “Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you?”    
  
That got him a laugh.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Back at the house, Bill had distracted the cameras from the Webster and Liebgott drama by talking about the only thing he thought might catch their attention.   
  
“ I guess it all started when I took him over to the infirmary….”   
  
And that thing was his secret Big Gay Feelings for Toye. God…Joe and Webster SO owed him for this shit. When his mother saw this she was going to be thoroughly confused.   
  
Dick walked by the scene and observed it in amusement. There was no way Bill had any actual feelings for Jo, the guy was as straight as they came. But if he was willing to lie and say he did, then there was obviously something going on that he didn’t want them to record.    
  
Unfortunately Hashey wasn’t their brightest cameraman and Popeye, one of their more experienced ones, had the worst gaydar ever.   
  
He walked over to Liebgott and Roe’s bedroom, where Talbert had said he’d heard shouting.   
However the door was wide open and, upon further inspection, the room was empty. He walked a little further only to be confronted by Sobel.   
  
The Blue team’s captain had his customary scowl in place, as well as a tissue pressed against his apparently bloody nose. “That stupid freak punched me.” The man spoke, though his voice was muffled. “He and Webster are in the hall bathroom.”   
  
Dick winced and laid a sympathetic hand on the contestant’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about that. Look why don’t you get yourself over to Renee’s and if it’ll make you feel better, we’ll have security present whenever you and Liebgott are in the same room.”   
  
The dark haired man rolled his eyes and stomped off, muttering under his breath about people being kicked off Survivor for less than the shit Liebgott pulled. Dick silently agreed, but knew that Nixon and Harry would never kick Joe off the show for fighting. Not to mention that all the contestants had basically signed away any right they had to sue over any type of personal injury.    
  
Dick walked over to the bathroom door and, not bothering to knock, turned the handle to try and open it up. It was locked, which was unsurprising considering that is was a bathroom. However they had known to prepare for any number of incidents, and therefore had a key that could unlock it from the outside. Only he, Nixon, Harry and security had them. He pulled out his set of keys before finding the one that unlocked all the bathroom doors, the contestant’s bedroom doors didn’t have the luxury of locks.    
  
Cracking the door open he poked his head inside to have a look. The first thing he noticed were the two sets of mikes that had been laid on the bathroom counter and that all the taps had been turned on. The two men obviously didn’t want anyone listening in on them.    
  
He stepped into the large bathroom further and looked around the wall to his left that led past the large shower and toward the toilet. The door to the toilet was wide open and he saw Liebgott and Webster standing with their backs to him, arguing in hushed tones as Webster fiddled with something in his hands.   
  
Dick cleared his throat loudly and the two contestants turned to face him with matching expressions of surprise on their faces. “So what is it you two are doing in here? De-miked?”   
  
Joe had a look on his face that Dick had never seen before. He looked as though he were frozen in fear and Webster immediately stepped in front of him as if to shield him from Dick. “Look Winters...I can explain…”   
  
But Dick was still looking at Joe. “Liebgott? Are you okay? You look sick. Do you need to go and see Renee?”   
  
Neither of them said anything and he sighed. “Look…whatever’s going on...I can help you. I WANT to help you. I hope you believe that. But I need to know what’s going on here. I’m not…I’m not like Nixon, alright?”   
  
He hated having to say it but he knew that he needed them to understand that if this was serious, he wasn’t going to sell them out to the show. Which, as much as he hated to admit it, was exactly what Lewis would do.    
  
The two contestants exchanged looks before Liebgott jerked his head forward, as if giving Webster permission to talk. Webster sighed, “We’re…getting rid of something.”   
  
Dick could feel his entire body sag…he didn’t need to be told much else. “Drugs Liebgott? Do you have any earthly idea how dangerous it is to have those around here? Around other people?”   
  
Liebgott just pulled viciously at his lower lip with his teeth. “Do you think I honestly fucking cared?”   
  
Running a hand through his hair, Dick sighed. “Look-finish getting rid of them and then I want you to tell me everything. Alright? And I mean everything. Liebgott if this has something to do with your problems back home I want to know about it.”   
  
Joe nodded and Dick noted the look of surprise on David’s face. He guessed Liebgott hadn’t filled the other man in on everything.    
  
He nodded to the two of them once more. “I’ll be waiting for you two outside. I’ll keep everyone out of here. Just come and get me when they’re flushed.”   
  
Walking out into the hallway, he shut the door behind him and leaned back against it with a sigh. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. But if Liebgott was getting rid of whatever drugs he had then he obviously wanted help. And the only one who could really help him was Dick. Who else could the troubled man turn to?   
  
Nixon and Harry would just exploit his condition, present it to the network as some sad little storyline that needed to be harped on or use it to drum up more funds. He couldn’t let that happen. Not to mention that something of this magnitude could ruin Liebgott’s life if it was broadcasted. This had to stay under wraps, no matter what.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Toye watched in interest as Bill attempted to shake the cameraman dogging his every move. Finally the Philly boy gave up and plopped down on the couch with an exasperated sigh.    
  
Jo nodded his head towards the hovering cameraman, “Something up?”   
  
“ Like you wouldn’t believe.” Bill replied. “I’ll tell you later. So how’d the vote go?”   
  
“ How do you think?”   
  
Bill cursed. “Well are you going to  _ win _ ?”   
  
Jo leaned back into the couch cushions with a shrug, eyes fluttering closed. “I dunno. It’s me and Penkala, so maybe.”   
  
“ What? Are you tired?”    
  
“ Yeah a bit. I think I’m gonna hit the sack. I don’t feel so good.” Jo told him.    
  
He stopped Toye before he got too far. “Well do you need to see Renee?” he asked. The other man just shook his head slowly before walking off and Bill noticed that he leaned on the stair   
railing rather heavily.    
  
“ Something’s up with him,” said a voice right next to Bill’s head. He jumped slightly and glared at Luz, who was leaning on the couch near him and staring at the stairs. “You see it too.”   
  
“ He says he doesn’t need to see Renee.” Bill pointed out, surprised that Luz was even talking to him. He had made his dislike of him pretty apparent up until that point.    
  
“ Yeah well he’s fucking stubborn. So…I dunno. Just keep an eye on him.” Luz instructed, pushing away from the couch and pulling a cigarette out from behind his ear.   
  
Bill looked at the cigarette for a minute. “Where the Hell did you get that? I thought you’d lost all yours to Speirs.”   
  
Luz paused with the object in question half way to his lips, “I jack them here and there.”   
  
“ What- from Speirs?”   
  
“ Fuck that. He’d kill me. I take them from people on the Blue team.” Luz admitted with a smirk before walking outside to smoke.   
  
Sneaky bastard. Bill made a mental note to check his bags before he went to sleep.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dick listened as Joe reluctantly explained how he had become dependent on drugs…and what kind.   
It wasn’t like Dick had never known drug users over the years. It was an unfortunate benefit of his friendship with Nixon and his oversight of his best friend’s career. Many of the people in Nixon’s line of work (television) were incredibly casual about substance abuse. Mostly it was addictions to cocaine, alcohol and occasionally heroin that Dick had to deal with. Meth was new and, honestly, frightening.    
  
He supposed he should have suspected something. Joe was often irrationally violent and irritable…but there was no real way of knowing that this wasn’t his normal behavior. They had all known him for so short a time. Dick suspected that it was only the unusually close relationship that Webster had formed with Joe that had alerted him to the man’s changing behaviors.    
  
And although Dick had the feeling that Joe’s story wasn’t complete (the basic ‘fell in with the wrong crowd’ tale), he doubted it would do anyone any good to pry further.    
  
“ Alright here’s what’s going to happen.” Dick spoke up. “Things are going to get ugly. Joe…you understand that don’t you?”   
  
Joe remained silent for a moment. “Yeah I know.”   
  
For a moment Dick thought about drug recovery in general terms. How things got so much worse before they got better. How they stayed worse. At least when Liebgott was on the drugs he most likely got upswings from time to time. Now it was just going to be consistently bad. It almost made him wish that they hadn’t flushed the man’s drugs. The middle of a reality show wasn’t the best time to go through a secret drug detox. He only hoped the man could handle it.    
  
“ I will be watching you okay. David and Bill will be watching you. The moment I think you need a hospital- I’m going to have to tell Renee. This is going to be hard to keep under wraps. But I’ll do all I can for you.” Dick tells him. Right now he doesn’t trust Renee to keep this to herself, not after the incident with Gene.   
  
“ Thank you.” Joe muttered softly, but Dick could hear the sincerity in his tone. Then the other man cleared his throat and spoke louder. “I’m gonna go make sure Bill still has some dignity intact.”   
  
Webster and Dick watched as Joe shuffled out of the bathroom, grabbing his mike on the way out. Dick turned to Webster. “He’s going to need you. But I hope you understand...if you though he treated you bad before…it’s going to be much worse from here on out.”   
  
Webster nodded with resolve, “I know. I just…I  _ need _ to be there for him. I don’t really know how to explain it.”   
  
“ Then don’t try. But I wasn’t lying when I said this would be a difficult secret to keep.” Dick told him. “We may need a better distraction then Bill’s so called feelings for Toye.”   
  
Webster managed a mild snort of amusement before asking, “Did you have something in mind?”   
  
“ I’d rather not be causing problems for anyone but I know this is a much more grave situation than anything that the other contestants are likely to find themselves in.” Dick said, more as a way to make himself feel better than anything else. He continued, “We know for a fact now that Babe is underage. He’s only 17 even though he’s been going around and telling everyone he’s 19. It may not seem like much of an issue on its own, but the fallout that is going to occur as a result of his lying certainly will be.”   
  
Dick watched in interest as Webster bit his lip, looking uncomfortable. “I uh…kind of already knew about that.” David explained. “And I swore to him I wouldn’t betray his confidence.”   
  
The act was noble, and Dick told him so. “However,” he reminded the contestant, “when it comes down to it you may have to decide who you’d rather keep your promise to. Babe…or Joe.”   
  
And deep down David knew that it wasn’t a hard choice at all.    
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Next Morning**

  
  
  
  
  
  
Gene shuffled into his bedroom to change clothes, knowing that soon they would all be heading to the arena soon to watch Toye and Penkala battle it out and he needed to get dressed. He had spent the previous night curled up next to Babe in the red head’s room, not his own.    
  
The memory made him smile. He couldn’t believe how surreal all of this was. Never in a million years would he imagine meeting someone like Babe- much less on a reality television show.    
  
Not to mention he hadn’t had to deal with bothering Babe’s roommates. Grant and Shifty were gone, and Webster had been AWOL all night. When Gene slipped into his bedroom he understood why.    
  
Webster was fully clothed in the same thing he’d worn last night, sitting up on Liebgott’s bed. Gene’s roommate was fast asleep, his head on Webster’s stomach and his arm thrown over the other man’s hips.    
  
Gene stared at them in muted surprise for a moment before nodding to their sleeping teammate.   
“ He’s going to have to get up in a little while.” He said softly.   
  
“ I know.” Webster murmured, looking down at the man on top of him. He nervously ghosted his hand down Liebgott’s back, as if afraid any moment the man might wake up and tell him to get lost. “He’s just  _ so _ tired. I’ll wake him up in a minute.”   
  
With a nod, Gene gathered his clothes together and backed out of the room to give them some privacy. He hurried down the hall towards Babe’s room to tell him the latest development. It wasn’t gossip when he told Babe…it was gossip when Babe blabbed it to everyone else. But whatever- it made the kid happy.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Luz was not very happy at the moment. Toye had been acting weird ever since his trip into the realm of unconsciousness at the end of yesterday’s challenge. Now that Luz had torn himself away from Buck’s stupidly attractive self (curse his hotness! It was making things so difficult!) and focused all his energy on watching Toye, it was obvious to him what was wrong with the other man.    
  
Irritation coloring his every move, Luz marched right over to Jo, who was sitting alone on the couch.    
  
“ Hey idiot!” Luz greeted him.   
  
“ Hola midget.”   
  
Luz glared at him. “You called me an idiot!” Jo reminded him. Luz just threw his hands above his head in frustration.    
  
“ That’s not why I’m glaring at you.” Luz responded. “And I called you an idiot because you’re being one. Why the hell would you lie to Renee about not having a concussion?”   
  
“ I don’t have a concussion.” Toye argued.   
  
“ Sure well if that’s the case then why don’t you stand up and spin around a few times?” Luz suggested, gesturing to the space in front of the couch.   
  
Jo just pursed his lips. “I’d rather not.”   
  
“ I wouldn’t either if I had a CONCUSSION!” Luz shouted at him. Jo immediately waved his hands in an attempt to quiet him down.    
  
“ Look just leave it alone alright?” Jo hissed. “If they find out they might postpone the arena challenge.”   
  
Luz just gaped at him. “What? Why would you even want to compete with a FREAKING CONCUSS-”   
His ranting was cut off when Jo reached up and pulled him down to the couch roughly. “Because I have something to prove.” He said.    
  
“ Yeah? To who?” Luz asked, fixing the other man with a hard stare.    
  
Jo leaned in further to Luz’s space and Luz stilled at their proximity. He hadn’t been this close to Jo since…had he  _ ever _ been this close to Jo?    
  
“ To whoever keeps voting for me.” Toye told him in a whisper. “They need to know that I’m capable of taking anything they throw at me. Maybe then they’ll realize that it’s a mistake to make me their enemy.”   
  
“ Yeah.” Luz conceded the point before bringing up his own. “Or maybe you’ll lose.”   
  
“ It’s a chance I’m willing to take.” Toye said seriously, never taking his eyes off of Luz’s face.   
  
Luz, for his part, remained silent, staring back just as intently. He didn’t say anything. Suddenly Speirs spoke up from behind them.    
  
“ Alright red team, let’s move out. Time to go.”   
  
Toye leaned even closer. “Please Luz. Don’t say anything. I need you to do this for me.”   
  
And that just wasn’t fair. Jo couldn’t bring their lips within an inch of touching and then appeal to Luz’s personal feelings for him just to get what he wanted. Even though it was totally working.   
  
“ Fine. But when you’re done, you have to swear to me that you’ll tell Winters you need to see Renee and sit out the challenge.” Luz said.    
  
At this Jo’s face broke into a grin. “You think I’m gonna win?”   
  
Luz rolled his eyes. “Of course I do.”   
  
Toye smirked again before moving away from Luz to rise and follow their departing team. Luz grabbed his wrist before he could move off. “Promise me.” Luz demanded.   
  
“ I promise.”   
  
George nodded and let him go. Watching him walk away with nervous dread in the pit of his stomach.    
  
  
  
  
  
  


**In the Arena**

  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Oh Penkala. We barely knew ye.” Nixon said to Dick with a smirk as the contestants began to filter into the arena.    
  
Dick smiled in spite of himself but shook his head. “You never know what could happen. Today may very well be the day that Toye falls short.”   
  
“ Not as short as Perconte!” Talbert piped up behind them. He held a hand up, “Up high!”   
  
Nixon gave him a disgusted look. “No way. Go watch Webster and Joe cuddle and weep.”   
  
The intern glared at him. “Please the only one weeping here is you. What with your unrequited love for-”   
  
“ Do you LIKE breathing?” Nixon growled.    
  
Dick watched the intern scamper off with interest. He turned towards Nixon. “ _ Unrequited _ love? Something you want to tell me, Lew?”   
  
Lewis stared at him in shock. Because if that wasn’t the most loaded question he’d ever heard…   
  
Then Dick continued, “When did some lucky girl –or guy- catch your eye?”   
  
Nixon felt like he had been hit over the head with a shovel. So Dick didn’t know Talbert was talking about him but… “Wait…you know that I date men?”   
  
Dick gave him that-possibly a smirk-again. “I’m your best friend Nix. Do you really think you can keep something that important from me?”   
  
‘ You have no idea…’ Nixon thought to himself.   
  
“ Although how you’ve managed to keep this mysterious person to yourself I’ll never know. So who is it?” Dick asked as he turned to survey the contestants once more.   
  
“ Uh…why don’t we worry about it later?” Nixon asked. “We’ve got to work.”   
  
Dick nodded. “True. Let’s go to it then shall we?”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ And now to my favorite part.” Nixon declared to the contestants as the already assembled pair of Toye and Penkala stood before him. “Deciding your fate. Which, if we’re being honest, is basically my job. But I think it’s important to enjoy what you do.”   
  
“ Get on with it already!” Luz shouted from the stands.   
  
Nixon glared at him but reached up to spin the Wheel of Doom which would determine what arena challenge the two red team members would be playing. He crossed his fingers and hoped for the gross food challenge. You could never splice together enough video clips of people puking if you asked him.    
  
However it wasn’t to be as the wheel came to a stop on the flag struggle, which was last seen in the elimination of Shifty by Liebgott. The disappointment on Nixon’s face was evident.    
  
“ Lame.” The host muttered before turning his attention back to the contestants. “Well it looks like the wheel has deemed it best for the two of you to compete in a quick game of Snatch the Flag. You may remember this arena challenge as the one that eliminated Shifty. For those of you having to compete in it for the first time today- let’s go over how it works one more time.”   
  
“ Each competing contestant is outfitted with a vest upon which multiple flags have been tacked.”As Nixon began to explain the rules, the crew assembled the appropriate equipment behind him. “On the edges of the formed circle in the middle of the arena, there is a box for each contestant to put the flags they have captured from their opponent in. When the time is up, we count the flags in each contestant’s box and whoever has the most is declared the winner. Of course the loser will have to leave the island. For good.”   
  
Liebgott let out a loud yawn. “Can we get this over with already?”   
  
Nixon pouted before turning to watch as Toye and Penkala finished getting their vests on. Penkala was wearing the one with bright yellow flags and Toye’s were bright orange. “You guys suited up?”   
  
They both nodded. Nixon grinned, “Well then take your places.”   
  
Luz watched nervously as his two team members walked to the center of the arena and entered the drawn up circle. They turned to face one another and everyone waited for the signal that would start their battle.    
  
  
  
  
  
Alex watched as Toye swayed on his feet slightly. And even though his opponent (and friend) seemed off his game Penkala couldn’t help but feel nervous. Jo had won every arena challenge.   
But maybe if he wasn’t feeling well then Alex might actually stand a chance.    
  
Unfortunately for Penkala that hope was smashed, for when the bullhorn went off Toye lunged himself at Alex fiercely and began to rip every flag he could get to off of the other man’s vest.    
  
“ Oh!” Nixon winced as Alex went down.   
  
“ That’s gotta hurt.” Babe observed from the stands. Gene nodded in agreement beside him.    
  
Behind the two of them, Webster was attempting to rouse Liebgott from his sleepy state. Gene frowned at the scene in concern. Was it possible that there was something wrong with his roommate? Liebgott had been acting out of character all morning. Webster looked concerned, but if something was wrong David certainly hadn’t shared it with him.   
  
“ Joe.” David whispered as he gently shook Liebgott’s shoulder. “Joe you’re going to have to wake up for the challenge. How can you possibly be this sleepy?”   
  
Joe, eyes still closed, made a face and shrugged slightly. “I dunno. Just am. God I feel like shit.”   
  
There was a lot Webster wanted to say. That Joe had to get through this challenge. That everyone was going to see he was acting strange and want to know what was wrong with him. But then Joe leaned onto David and muttered, “I’m sorry. About all of this.”   
  
Webster sighed as Liebgott’s head settled under his neck and he wrapped an arm around the other man’s back. “Don’t be. I’ll wake you when it’s over.”   
  
  
And it was over pretty soon. As the two struggled it out it was obvious to all that Toye was essentially kicking Penkala’s ass.    
  
Nixon sounded the bullhorn and the two men ceased their battle, coming to their feet and panting heavily. The host walked over to stand between them as Dick gathered the two boxes to count the flags. Nixon eyed Penakala’s bare vest before turning to stare at the flag’s still adorning Toye’s.    
  
“ Though I’m not sure what the point is…I guess we’ll count the flags anyway.” Nixon shrugged.   
  
Dick rifled through the many flags that Toye had managed to take off of Penkala’s vest. Rather than embarrass Alex by stating the dramatic ratio he simply announced, “Toye won.”   
  
Nixon looked at the stands before gesturing towards Dick. “Well you heard the man.” The host said. “Unfortunately for you Penkala this means that you’ll have to leave your team, and the island, for good.”   
  
Penkala sighed, “I figured.”   
  
Toye waved a hand lazily, “Hey Winters?”   
  
From his crouch next to the boxes on the ground, Dick looked up at being directly addressed.   
“ Yeah Jo? What is it?”   
  
“ Remember how I said I didn’t have a concussion?”   
  
“ ...Yeah.”   
  
“ I lied.” Toye told him before promptly falling over.   
  
Dick rushed to his side before turning his gaze towards Nixon.   
  
“ Oh that is SO not my fault!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Well Toye’s definitely down for the count.” Nixon announced to the contestants who were all gathered outside the infirmary where Toye was resting.   
  
“ Yeah no shit.” Luz snapped. “Why is it that he’s the only one who ever gets fucking hurt?”   
  
“ Um hello?” Babe called out as he pulled up his bandaged ankle for the shorter man to see. “Jaguar attack?”   
  
Luz shrugged in concession to his point as Babe then began to struggle not to fall over on one foot. “So are they going to sit a player out too?”   
  
“ Not this time.” Winters replied. “Jo already told us he was aware of his condition before he entered the arena and honestly he should have told us he wasn’t feeling well right off the bat. That way he could have been treated and might’ve been given a less physically demanding one on one challenge. The team challenge wouldn’t have taken much out of him had he been well rested. As it is we don’t feel the blue team deserves to suffer as a result of his choice. And next time Luz, if you know something’s wrong? Please come to us.”   
  
Luz gaped, “He ratted me out?”   
  
“ Nope!” Nixon piped in, “But you just did. Also Blue Team? Where’s Bill?”   
  
  
  
  
  
In the infirmary, Bill frowned down at Toye, “What the Hell were you thinking?”   
  
The other man shrugged. “I had my reasons alright? Did you sneak in here JUST to give me shit?”   
  
“ No.” Bill sighed.   
  
“ I didn’t think so.” Toye replied. “What’s up?”   
  
“ Okay,” Bill began, “This is going to sound stupid but just go with it. I’m kind of covering someone’s ass by distracting the camera men with fake drama. That’s why they’ve been dogging me all day.”   
  
Toye smirked, “Covering for someone? How like you. But that’s not all that stupid. So what’s the drama?”   
  
Here Bill cringed, “Uh…apparently my very gay love for you.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
A loud stream of hysterical laughter coming from the infirmary caught everyone’s attention and all the interested parties went inside to see Toye doubled over in said laughter as Guarnere glared at him lightly.   
  
Luz frowned, “Well we found our missing Blue player.”   
  
“ Okay Bill you can play kissy face with your boyfriend some other time.” Liebgott sneered. “We have a challenge. You remember those right?”   
  
Bill gave him the finger. Ungrateful brat. He leaned in to whisper to Jo, “Look are you going to play along or not?”   
  
Toye pulled back slightly to gaze into Bill’s eyes. Bill shifted uncomfortably, “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.   
  
Jo smirked, laughter obviously threatening to bubble to the surface again. “I’m playing along.” He whispered. “By the way you wouldn’t mind losing this challenge so that I don’t have to go into the arena tomorrow would you  _ baby _ ?”   
  
Bill sighed, “You’re going to make me pay for this, aren’t you?”   
  
Toye nodded with a grin, “Oh yeah.”   
  
“ Alright you two!” Nixon snapped, “Enough pillow talk, let’s go!”   
  
Grumbling obscenities under his breath, Bill followed his team out of the infirmary.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**At the Casa de Losers**

  
  
  
  
  
Skip just shook his head as Alex downed another ‘Welcome to Loserville’ shot of bourbon. “So you suck.”   
  
Don shrugged, “Could have been worse.”   
  
Alex just stared his cheerfulness down. “Malark-I just got my ass handed to me by a guy with a concussion! How could that have been worse?”   
  
Malarkey paused with his mouth open, ready to answer. He closed it with a sigh. “Good point.”   
  
Grant poured him another drink, “Well on the upside…the booze here is better.”   
  
“ Cheers to that.”   
  
They all downed a shot.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Challenge**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Oh you’ve gotta be fucking joking.” Perconte groused.    
  
“ Agreed.” Luz mumbled.    
  
Nixon glared at the two of them, “Well we’re not joking so shut it!”   
  
Webster tilted his head to the side as he studied the contraption behind their host. “You know there are only so many times you can suspend us over the ocean before it reflects a lack of creativity.”   
  
Lewis shook his head, “Just wait till you hear the challenge. Now get your complaining butts on those boats and get out there!”   
  
The ‘out there’ that Nixon was referring to, was a very large and flat platform off the shore and into the less shallow part of the near ocean. It was situated about 30 feet above the water with ladders trailing down the sides which one assumed were meant to be climbed up, but not down.    
  
The red and blue teams filtered into two separate motor boats and were rushed out to the water, Perconte clipping on his life vest with a sigh. “I feel like such a pussy wearing this.”   
  
Luz shrugged, “Tough nuts. It’s either that or drown.”   
  
“ Yep,” Buck nodded. “No one’s going to throw a challenge to save you this time.”   
  
George shot the blond man a grin, before telling Perconte, “That’s right. So don’t fall.”   
  
“ That’s not even funny!” Frank yelped.   
  
The two just laughed.   
  
After all the contestants climbed up their respective ladders, they noticed that there was a large round table at the center of the platform with name blue and red name plates obviously intended for them to direct each contestant to where they were meant to be.   
  
There were no chairs, so all the contestants moved past one another to come and stand by their name plate. Upon looking below their feet they found that they were (surprise, surprise) standing on what appeared to be a trap door. Should it open up, they would obviously go falling in the water.    
  
Also before each contestant there was a tall glass with an unidentified liquid in it. Babe stared at his suspiciously, “Um what IS this?”   
  
Nixon, who was now standing off to the side of their table, smirked, “It’s liquor.”   
  
Lipton frowned, “Wait drinking alcohol is actually part of the challenge. What if some of us didn’t drink?”   
  
The host snorted, “Please. We watch you guys all the time remember? We know what you do and don’t do. Besides it’s just light beer. But the fact leads me to the heart of the challenge. What you all will be doing today is playing a modified version of the classic drinking game I’ve Never.”   
  
Sobel couldn’t help but be pleased. These kinds of activities always created conflict, and hopefully it could take some of the attention off of him because on his team he was still a popular target.    
  
“ I don’t really know how to play that game.” Evans confessed.    
  
Everyone kind of just looked at him. Nixon sighed, “That’s fine as I have to explain the new rules anyway. Here’s how it goes. We have, as I previously stated, been watching you. We know things about you that your fellow contestants don’t. And we think it’s time that you guys start being honest with each other.”   
  
Many of the contestants looked at him with wide eyes. He couldn’t help but grin, this was going to be great.    
  
“ We’ve been gathering all sorts of information on you.” He continued to explain. “Both by observing you here and by talking to some of your contacts back home. The way I’ve Never normally works is that you go around in a circle and each person, in turn, states something that they have never done. Anyone who has done that activity, or whatever it is, takes a drink. Normally in a regular game people can still lie. However in this game if you  _ have _ done something and try to lie about it by not taking a drink, or if you try to call our bluff, the trap door below you will open up, you’ll fall into the water and be out of the challenge. The most truthful contestant will obviously be the last on the platform and will win this challenge for their team. Any questions?”   
  
“ Do we make our own questions?” Webster asked.    
  
Nixon nodded, “Yep. Why doesn’t hmm…Captain Sobel start us off?”   
  
As Nixon retreated back to the boat so that more cameramen could come onto the platform, all the contestants turned to look at Sobel expectantly.    
  
Sobel smirked, knowing exactly what he wanted to say. “Well, I’ve never used or taken any illegal drugs.”   
  
Babe sighed and took a drink, recalling his earlier encounter on the main island with LSD.   
Liebgott took a drink as well, not bothering to look guilty about it. However if any looks   
could kill, the look Webster was giving Sobel might be the one.    
  
Then Luz took a drink (he’d smoked some weed in high school-sue him) along with Evans. Evans shrugged when Sobel gave him a shocked look. “I went to summer camp once.” He explained.   
  
No one else drank and suddenly there was creak and a shout as Perconte went falling into the water.    
  
  
  
When he bobbed back to the surface of the water (thanks to his life vest) he glared at Nixon, who was waiting in the boat with a cameraman, “I was 10! How does that count?! Also who the Hell told you about that?”   
  
Nixon smirked, “Your very chatty cousin. Now hop in.”   
  
  
  
The person to Sobel’s right was Gene who wasn’t sure what to say but figured that he knew a statement that might have a helpful outcome. “I’ve never formed a voting alliance on this show.”   
  
Bill took a drink- Hell yes he was in an alliance. He wanted their chicken shit Captain gone. Liebgott rolled his eyes but also drank, knowing he was guilty of the same thing.    
  
Speirs, not really afraid of any repercussions, took a drink. He certainly hadn’t actively tried to hide his voting alliance with Buck from the cameras.    
  
However to everyone’s surprise (well not  _ everyone’s _ ) Evan’s owned up and took a drink as well. Sobel glared at him but left his drink untouched. He didn’t want to give them any more fuel to hate him, besides he didn’t have a voting ALLIANCE like Liebgott and Bill did when they ALWAYS voted for him no matter what. He and Evans just came to a consensus on who to vote for.    
  
Yet it appeared that the Show disagreed and both Sobel as well as Buck (who hadn’t wanted to ignite Luz’s suspicions) went falling into the water.    
  
Lipton was looking at Speirs curiously, wondering what he was up to. While Luz was staring at where Buck had been standing in confusion. “What the fuck?” he wondered aloud.    
  
  
  
  
The burden now fell to Evans to make a statement. The red team took a moment to be irritated that only blue members had gone thus far. Evans was just glad he didn’t have to drink any more nasty beer.    
  
“ I’ve never had uh…fuzzy feelings for anyone on this show.”   
  
Liebgott just stared at him dubiously, “Fuzzy? Are you for real?’” However knowing what the man meant Liebgott took a drink. Webster stared at him with a small smile forming on his face. Liebgott rolled his eyes at the look. “Oh like you didn’t know. Stop looking at me like that.”   
  
All the other contestants drank except for Bill, whose feelings for those on the show could hardly be described as fuzzy. However he forgot that the producers were going to go by what they THOUGHT they knew-not what actually was. And Bill  _ had _ been chatting up the cameras about his feelings for Toye.    
  
His trap door opened up and he fell into the water below with a curse. Damn it. Now everyone was going to know about his little charade. He hoped Liebgott appreciated this.    
  
Luz glared at his empty spot. He was definitely not pleased with the apparent developments in Jo and Bill’s relationship.   
  
  
  
  
  
Finally the Red team had their turn as Lipton was standing on Evans right. He gave it a thought and sighed, “I’ve uh…never kissed another man before I came on this show.”   
  
Speirs smiled at the statement, unable to be anything but pleased as he took a drink. All the others, save Evans, mirrored his action.    
  
Both teams watched in surprise and amusement as Evans went plummeting into the water. Apparently he had lied.   
  
  
  
  
Nixon helped the soaked blue contestant into the boat and raised an eyebrow for an explanation to his lie. Evans sighed at the camera and once again said, “I went to summer camp once.”   
  
  
  
  
David’s turn was now up and he wasn’t really sure what to say. He took a shot in the dark, probably a waste of a turn, and said, “I’ve never been responsible for anyone’s death.”   
  
There was silence and for a moment, no one drank. But then Babe reached out to grab his glass with a shaking hand and took a quick gulp before hurriedly putting his glass back down and avoiding everyone’s curious looks.    
  
Gene stared at him for another moment before taking a drink as well. Working in a medical capacity he knew, sadly, that there were many deaths that could likely be blamed on him. Albeit indirectly. Or maybe he just felt responsible. Either way he wished more than anything that he were seated next to Babe so that he could clutch the younger man’s hand and let him know that-whatever it was- he had been there.    
  
They appeared to be the only two willing to drink. Unfortunately it was an omission that sent Speirs falling into the ocean below.    
  
When he sunk underneath the water’s surface, Speirs took a moment to be irritated. He knew exactly what death was being alluded to and couldn’t help but be pissed off. There had been an incident at the club he worked security at where one night a fight had broken out.   
  
Unfortunately a knife had been pulled and one of his coworkers, who had been trying to break it up, had been stabbed.   
  
Speirs had been outside watching the door but had rushed to help as soon as he could. He subdued the two men that had been fighting but by the time the ambulance came it was too late for his friend. The bartender, Kenneth Web’s girlfriend, had seen the whole incident and for whatever reason blamed his late arrival for her boyfriend’s death. She must have been more than willing to tell the show’s producers all about her version of the event.    
  
And maybe he had felt slightly responsible, but after dwelling on it for a few years he knew that he wasn’t, and he had moved on. He only hoped Lipton hadn’t gotten the wrong impression. He didn’t have anything to hide, not really, and certainly not from Lipton.    
  
  
  
  
  
It was bad enough that Babe was already reliving an event he hadn’t wanted anyone to know about, now it was Liebgott’s turn and the man’s statement hit Babe hard.   
  
“ I have never been married,” The man said and they all rolled their eyes, highly doubting that ANY of them had been married.    
  
However Lipton sighed and took a drink. Luz gaped at him. “Lip, for real?”   
  
Lipton shrugged, “My high school sweet heart told me she was pregnant. It was a lie and also a HUGE mistake.”   
  
Luz grinned, “Speirs is going to just looove that.”   
  
However Babe was slightly freaking out. They couldn’t know. Who would have told them? How would they have found her anyway? She never would have said anything, she had done it to help him! Had they found his parents?   
  
In between all of his mental anguish, Babe’s door dropped open and he fell.    
  
  
  
  
  
They all stared at Babe’s empty spot in astonishment, Gene most of all. There was silence for a moment before Luz cleared his throat, knowing it was now his turn. “I’ve uh…never intentionally hurt anyone I care about.”   
  
Or at least he didn’t realize he had. The show let it slide as no one drank. Then Liebgott fell into the water abruptly. Webster jerked forward in worry, but knew there wasn’t anything he could do.   
  
Liebgott grimaced as he sluggishly kicked his way to the ocean’s surface. He supposed that if he were being honest with himself that he had slept with Floyd, not just because he had been horny, but because he thought it might be the last straw for David.    
  
He had intended for Webster to find out and finally be successful in pushing the other man away. Only it had indirectly brought them closer and Liebgott guessed that that was probably better. He hoped.    
  
  
  
  
  
It was now Gene’s turn once again. “I’ve uh…never stolen anything?”   
  
Nobody drank and after a moment Luz’s trap door fell open and he went straight down into the ocean. He splashed around indignantly for a moment, “I was 10! How does that count? Also- who told you about that?”   
  
Nixon rolled his eyes at the familiar question, “Your mom. And you and Perco can bitch all you want but it still counts if you’re 10!”   
  
  
  
  
  
There were only three of them left and Lipton shrugged before saying, “I’ve never been arrested.”   
  
Gene took a quick drink and Webster laughed. “You’ve never stolen anything but you’ve been  _ arrested _ . Care to share?”   
  
“ Nope. Not unless you do.” Gene said thinking that he might be able to find out what was wrong with Liebgott if he played his next statement right. He normally wouldn’t pry but he had kicked himself for not be more attentive when he started to notice Liebgott’s sluggish and out of character behavior all day, starting from the moment he saw him curled up with Webster that morning. He was supposed to be the kind of person who helped others but he had been so wrapped up in Babe that he hadn’t realized something was wrong with his own teammate.    
  
After Liebgott’s admission that he had once taken illegal drugs, Gene began to be more worried. What was Webster hiding?   
  
David looked at him in apparent confusion. “What the Hell are you talking about?”   
  
“ I’m a med student David. Not an idiot. What’s wrong with him? If he’s ill he needs a doctor.”   
  
“ You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Webster replied with a frown. He knew he needed to get Gene to stop asking questions before everyone on the show got involved. “Why don’t you save it for your turn.”   
  
Gene stared him down, his lips pursed and an expression of worry on his face. But he nodded, not sure if he could pressure the information out of David when his turn came or even if he wanted to. It was probably better discussed in private. But if Webster cared about Joe why bother hiding something at all?   
  
David, for his part, wasn’t going to let Gene get to his next turn. Winters had been right…he had to sell Babe out. Even though he wished he didn’t. He had hoped he’d have more time but it was a credit to Gene that he had caught on so quickly. Webster knew he was only acting out of concern but the truth was that he could make Joe’s life very difficult.    
  
So on David’s turn, he knew he had him. “I’ve never made out with someone 7 years younger than me.”   
  
Lipton and Gene both stared at him quizzically, neither of them moving to grab their drinks. When Gene’s trap door fell away David almost felt bad.    
  
Lipton looked at the empty space where Gene had been and back to David. He had a pretty good idea of what to say himself. “I’ve never kept a secret for one of my teammates.”   
  
David didn’t move to drink. They had no definitive proof that he was keeping a secret for Joe. Winters had made sure of that. However, they all knew thanks to Grant that he, along with Shifty as well, had been keeping Babe’s secret about his real age. And his lie sent him into the water.    
  
Lipton looked around the empty platform in relief. Huh. He had actually won them a challenge.    
  
  
  
  
  
Down in the boat below Nixon sounded a very unnecessary bullhorn. The other contestants had already been taken back to the shore and he was waiting at the bottom of one of the ladders for Lipton to climb down.    
  
As Lipton walked over and made his way down into the boat, he couldn’t help but wonder what some of the repercussions of this were going to be.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Some of those repercussions were evident immediately when they made it back on the island. Sobel was ignoring Evans, Luz was glaring at Bill and Babe was stark white and still, whereas Gene looked like he was about to explode he was so upset.    
  
“ How could you lie to me about something like that?” Gene shouted at Babe, more angry than Lipton had ever seen him.    
  
He walked over to Speirs, “What the Hell is going on here?”   
  
Speirs sighed, “Apparently Babe’s only 17.”   
  
Lipton shook his head in disbelief. “How did he even get on the show?”   
  
Ron shrugged, “Not sure. But Roe isn’t taking it so well.”   
  
That seemed to be a bit of an understatement. Roe was not even looking at Babe anymore.    
  
“ Gene I’m sorry. Look I can explain just-“ Babe began to plead but Gene said nothing, obviously too hurt to talk and simply walked away.    
  
Babe wanted to go after him but instead he whirled around and marched over to Webster and shoved him in the chest roughly, causing him to stumble backwards and fall on the ground.   
  
Liebgott began to jolt forward but Bill grabbed him by the back of his shirt and told him to wait it out.   
  
“ Thanks a lot!” Babe shouted down at Webster, who was staring at him in shock. “One thing! That’s all I asked for you to do was to keep this ONE THING to yourself! And you couldn’t even do that! Plus you just threw the damn challenge! What the Hell is wrong with you?”   
  
“ Look Babe I’m so sorry but if you just understood-” David began to speak as he stood up but Babe put him back on the ground with another violent push.   
  
“ No YOU look!” Babe pointed at him as he shouted, “Save your bullshit for someone who cares. You better not have ruined this for me.”   
  
The normally happy teen then turned on his heel to follow after Gene. “Babe wait!” Webster called out to him.    
  
“ Fuck you!” Babe hollered over his shoulder.    
  
Everyone was silent for a moment and as they quietly began to disperse Liebgott walked over to help Webster up. David allowed the help and sighed as Liebgott looked at him.    
  
Finally David said, “I’m sorry I did it, okay?”   
  
Joe shook his head. “No it’s not okay. Because I know why you did it Web. And if anyone’s sorry   
it should be me.”   
  
Webster looked at him in shock upon hearing the heartfelt apology. Thankfully he recovered and said, “It’s alright. Besides I don’t have time to worry about Babe.”   
  
“ But you have time to worry about me?” Joe asked.   
  
“ That’s different.” Webster said.   
  
“ How?”   
  
David sighed in frustration, “I dunno? Because you’re you.”   
  
Joe just leaned forward and caught David’s lips in a quick kiss, before pulling away just as swiftly. “I mean it Web. I’m sorry. And thank you for doing this for me.”   
  
Webster smiled at him, “You’re welcome.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Winters watched Nixon as all the commotion wound down. He walked over to his best friend. “You look awfully pleased with yourself.”   
  
Nixon grinned, “I never hoped for an outcome like this. This is crazy! Sweet Gene and Babe fighting and shouting. Just wait until Luz figures out what Buck’s been up to. I seriously love this cast.”   
  
Dick frowned at his friend’s excitement. “Yeah? Well I hate this. This isn’t right.”   
  
Lewis sighed, “You understood that this was going to happen. We have to incite drama for good ratings.”   
  
Dick couldn’t help but look at his friend in obvious disappointment. “I’m not sure what I thought. But I don’t like this, and I don’t like who this show is turning you into.”   
  
At that Lewis straightened up, “What are you talking about?”   
  
“ This whole attitude you have going? Like all your authority has gone to your head, you don’t care about anything or anyone unless it’s good entertainment.” Dick told him.   
  
“ That’s not true!” Lewis argued. He liked Dick, no matter what. Didn’t that count for anything?   
  
Dick continued, “Now you’re keeping secrets from me about people you have feelings for and plans you have for the contestants. You used to tell me everything.”   
  
“ Dick I-”   
  
“ Sometimes it’s like I don’t even know you.” Dick accused. And to that Nixon could do nothing but stare. When his friend said nothing, Dick just shook his head and walked away.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Babe didn’t have to wander too far before he came across Gene sitting on the beach near the house, his feet in the water as he stared out at the ocean. It was the same spot that they had fallen asleep at.    
  
He came to a stop next to Gene’s feet and wasn’t all that surprised when the man failed to pay him any mind. Heaving a sigh, the teen sat down beside him and looked out at the ocean as well.   
  
After a moment of tense silence, Babe spoke up. “When I was 11…my parents took custody of my cousin Julian.” Babe began, “We were the same age and had always been real close since neither of us had any siblings. His mother had died when we were 5 and his dad wasn’t all that stable. He owns this crappy bar over in Arizona and one day…he just kind of shipped Julian over to us. Said he couldn’t give him what we needed.”   
  
Gene finally gave him an odd look, not sure where this tale was going, but intrigued as the young man never spoke of his life.    
  
Babe caught his gaze and looked away before continuing, “After that Julian and I were like brothers. We did everything together, y’know? We were always a little different sure, but we were as thick as thieves. My friends kind of thought he was a…loser I dunno. But I always tried to get him to hang out with us. One day, during our junior year of high school, I pressured him into going to this party with me. He didn’t really want to…but he did it just to make me happy.”   
  
Gene noticed that Babe was shaking as he recounted what must have been an important tale and he straightened up to give the young man his full attention. Babe took a deep breath and continued.    
  
“ I kind of ditched him when we got there…I spent all my time with this girl that I was real close with-Doris- and he didn’t have anyone to watch him. He got so drunk and…I didn’t know where he was. We had rode to the party together and I needed him to give me a ride home. So I tried calling his cell and…”   
  
It’s there that Babe’s voice choked up and Gene could see the tears forming in his eyes. Despite his earlier anger with Babe, he couldn’t stand to see him so upset. He quickly put an arm around him and gave his shoulder a soft squeeze, urging him to go on.    
  
“ A woman from the hospital picked up…said he had been in a car accident.” Babe told him with a struggle. “I called my parents and Doris drove me to the hospital. He was…”   
  
Babe put his head on his knees, “He was dead when we got there though. It was…God it was so fucking wrong…and all my fault...”   
  
“ No.” Gene whispered and pulled Babe to his chest, “It wasn’t, Babe you can’t-”   
  
Babe just sniffed and straightened up. “Even if it wasn’t…you should have seen my parents. The way they looked at me. They loved Julian like their own son and when he was gone…things got so fucking bad. It was like I didn’t exist…”   
  
“ They were just hurting.” Gene tried to assure him, although he didn’t know.   
  
With a shake of his head, Babe silenced him. “I couldn’t take it anymore. They hated me, Julian was dead. So I got them to sign this parental consent form, they were so detached they didn’t even ask me what it was for. It was for a marriage license.”   
  
Gene looked at him in confusion so Babe explained. “I was 16 so I needed their consent. Me and my friend Doris got legally married so that I could get emancipated from them. Once I was...I just took off. I didn’t have anywhere to go so I went to Arizona to be with my Uncle. I guess I wanted him to forgive me or something. Turns out he didn’t blame me…so he took me in and I finished school over there. After I graduated I worked in his bar a bit but the authorities heard he had a minor working there so we lied and said I was 19. They let it slide but I knew they’d look into it eventually and I didn’t want to get him into any trouble so I took off again. They were having auditions for this show in Phoenix and I signed up. I didn’t…really have a lot of options.”   
  
Once Babe was finally done speaking of his past he just fell back on the sand beneath him and stared up at the sky. “I never expected to meet you, or any of this. I’m sorry I hurt you and I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me anymore.”   
  
Gene looked down at him for a moment before lying beside him. “Babe…I can’t help but want everything to do with you.”   
  
Babe looked over at him in surprise. Gene sighed, “It’s not really your age that bothered me…but that you lied. But I know that we all have things in our past that are hard to escape,   
and I could never blame you for that.”   
  
“ Wait…are you saying you forgive me?” Babe asked shakily.    
  
“ I more than forgive you Babe. I accept you for who you are and want you to know that you don’t have to lie anymore.” Gene told him in earnest. “Whatever happens with this show, I don’t want it to end whatever we could have.”   
  
“ Me neither.”   
  
“ Good.”   
  
The two kissed on it, just to be safe.

 


	14. Ante Up!

**Disclaimer:** I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and  **not the actual soldiers** . Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!   
  
  
  
  
  
A tapping on his door was easy to ignore. But the talking? Not as easy.    
  
“ Dick are you in there? It’s Renee. May I speak to you for a moment?”   
  
Slumping down on the couch in his trailer, Dick let out a sigh. If Renee wanted to talk to him, then there was little he could do to prevent it. She didn’t exactly take no for an answer.    
  
While he was tempted to holler for her to come in, he remembered his manners and went over to open the door. It swung forward to reveal the concerned face of his friend, looking up at him inquisitively.    
  
He smiled down at her. “Of course you can. Come on in.” He held his hand out to her to help her inside. Once she was in she softly shut the door behind her.    
  
“ So it seems to me that you have uh…holed yourself away?” Renee spoke before moving past him into his kitchenette and rummaging through his cupboards.   
  
“ What makes you say that?” he asked before settling back down on his couch. He watched her search before throwing out, “Coffee’s on the right.”   
  
“ Ah.” She nodded before pulling out a canister and going about making a cup of coffee. They all made themselves at home in one another’s space. “Well,” she continued on her train of thought, “You are usually close to the house while the losing team deliberates about the votes. Or at least with Lewis. Now you’re neither. You’ve been uncharacteristically absent.”   
  
He shrugged at her charge, “I just needed a break. I don’t think I’m cut out for this, it’s starting to take its toll.”   
  
She gave him a sad smile as the coffee began to brew. “It’s Lewis, isn’t it? You’re not used to seeing him like this. He does become a different person once the competitions get rolling.”   
  
And just like that she hit the nail on the head. Dick leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “It’s just that all this time I helped him land hosting jobs and I never really knew what that job entailed until now. Being here…being a part of the process? I don’t like it and I really hate how it’s making him behave. I feel responsible.”   
  
Settling down next to him, she put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you worried about him losing himself, or about you losing your best friend?”   
  
That was something he couldn’t quite figure out so he shrugged. “Both? I dunno. I just miss him. He’s normally this carefree, laidback and funny guy. And he’s always done the right thing, always had his heart in the right place. But now he’s acting high strung, tightly wound, devious and conniving. He doesn’t have the contestants’ best interests in mind.”   
  
“ And you do?” She asked as she got up to gather some coffee mugs and check the progress of her brewing beverage.    
  
“ Yeah. I do.” He told her with conviction. If he didn’t he highly doubted he’d be going out of his way to help Webster and Liebgott. Plus he was still sore about how they were planning to exploit Babe’s tragic story. It was all Harry and Nix had talked about since Smokey had come back with the footage of Babe and Gene on the beach.    
  
“ Well then maybe you can help me work out a troubling matter.” Renee ventured with hope in her voice as she glared at the coffee pot.   
  
Dick smiled. “I knew you didn’t just come to check on me,” he teased her.   
  
She turned her glare on him, “Oh hush. But if you must know, I was hoping you might help me campaign for some extra help in the infirmary. I’m worried with all the injuries that have been cropping up that another unfortunate event could cause me to become overwhelmed. I’m not sure my nerves can handle it.”   
  
“ I’ll do my best.” He promised. “Not that anyone ever listens to me though. Speaking of your poor nerves. How’s Christenson doing?”   
  
She stuck her tongue out at him and poured their coffee without issuing an answer.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ Bill vote for whoever you want to vote for. You already know my policy on this.” Babe huffed as Bill pulled him to the side. “Besides not only was Web a dick to me personally but he deliberately lost us this challenge.”   
  
Bill sighed, “Okay fine...vote for Webster if you want to but I just want to make sure everything between you and Joe stays cool. Okay? The less division on our team the better.”   
  
At that Babe shrugged. “Joe and me are as cool as ever. If he wants to be friendly with Webster that’s his business not mine. At least he’s a loyal person.”   
  
Opening his mouth to tell Babe how not cool with it he seemed, he was caught off guard by Toye walking by and giving him a flirtatious wink. Bill gaped at him and watched him saunter off before snapping his attention back to Babe.    
  
“ Look kid, just don’t do anything stupid. Like drink tequila.”   
  
“ Whatever.” Babe shrugged before walking off to find Roe.   
  
Bill figured that was the best he could hope for.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So who are you gonna vote for then?” Joe asked Webster from where they were laying side by side on his bed, not quite touching.   
  
David shook his head, “Well I already know who you’re voting for…but for me? I guess…Babe.”   
  
At the admission, Joe tore his gaze away from the ceiling to look at Webster in shock. He sat up quickly. “What? You can’t vote for Babe!”   
  
Twisting his neck to gaze at Joe coolly, he asked, “Why not? He’s going to vote for me and besides his dishonesty is what caused this whole mess in the first place.”   
  
“ Yeah,” Joe conceded, “but you did kind of screw him over and all. Look you can’t vote for the kid, it’s just…”   
  
Finally Webster sat up as well, inexplicably annoyed that Joe wasn’t firmly on his side. “What do you care? I mean honestly? Why are you always looking out for him? He’s no different from anyone else. Or is he? To you? I mean you guys were pretty close that one night. Is that what this is all about?”   
  
Joe’s eyes narrowed swiftly and before David had time to recognize his mistake the other man had roughly shoved him off the bed and onto the floor. “Screw you asshole!” Joe shouted down at him. “What? I can’t have any friends? If I care about someone it has to mean that I want to fuck them or something?”   
  
“ Joe it came out wrong. I didn’t mean it like that.” He tried to clarify but Joe was already furious.   
  
“ YES YOU DID!” The enraged man screamed before turning and kicking the lamp off of his nightstand and sending it crashing into the wall. The sound of shattering glass brought two camera men rushing in.    
  
Webster swiftly pulled himself off the ground. This was not a good situation. Joe’s mood was turning violent quickly and David suspected it had to do with his lack of drugs. “Joe just calm down.” He tried to reason.   
  
“ FUCK YOU! Don’t tell me to calm down, all you do is fucking judge me!” Joe spat at him. Webster moved to put a hand on his shoulder which only set him off more. Joe violently bucked his hand off and whirled on him. “Do NOT fucking touch me! Why do you ALWAYS have to fucking touch me? Why is everyone ALWAYS FUCKING TOUCHING ME?”   
  
Bill was the next to bust through their door. “What the Hell is going on?”   
  
David made a pleading face, willing the other man to understand the situation. Bill nodded,“Hey Joe why don’t we go outside and have a smoke okay? Just work it out of your system.”   
  
Liebgott just growled before stomping off, one camera man in tow. Popeye stayed behind and turned to face the camera on them as Bill sighed, “What pissed him off this time?”   
  
Webster shrugged, “Something stupid that I shouldn’t have said.”   
  
And that was apparently good enough for Bill. “Yeah okay. I’m going to go check on him.” He informed his dejected looking teammate, not wanting to give anything away.    
  
David, for his part, knew that there were going to be more of these incidents in his and Joe’s future. He just had to suck it up, like he’d told Winters he could. With a sigh he contemplated the broken shards of lamp that Liebgott had left in his wake.    
  
  
  


**On the Beach**

  
  
  
A couple of angry looks and muttered curses aside, Joe seemed relatively calmed down once they were all gathered on the beach to cast their votes.   
  
David had never known that the simple act of sitting down could actually convey someone’s frustration. But that’s exactly what it did as Liebgott plopped down next to him on a log. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled his apology to Webster sounding as unapologetic as a child being forced to apologize for playing in his neighbor’s yard. But David knew enough about Joe now to recognize his sincerity.    
  
“ Me too.” He replied, “I’m kind of a dick sometimes and I shouldn’t have said that.”   
  
Joe shrugged. “Yeah well I’m definitely an asshole all the time and I shouldn’t have overreacted. What a pair we make, huh?”   
  
David smiled. A pair? He liked that.    
  
Sobel watched their moment with irritation. He didn’t like where this voting session was headed. It was becoming harder and harder to stave votes off and he knew soon he would have to fight for his right to stay here once again. Hopefully enough people would be upset by this whole debacle to take some of the heat off of him.    
  
Nixon showed up on the beach- alone. “Alright contestants it’s that time again. Hopefully all your tempers have cooled. If not? Well that’s why the cameras never stop rolling. Anyway you know the drill- line up to cast your votes!”   
  
Lewis watched the almost unbearably tense blue team form a line and sighed. Today had been a great day for the continuing drama and Sink had called in to let them know that the television executives definitely liked what they were seeing and two big networks were currently kissing his ass for rights to the show.    
  
On the other hand it hadn’t been a very good day for Lewis personally. It seemed he had finally succeeded in pushing Dick away from him. The man hadn’t even shown up to the voting session! Not that it was the first time he skipped out. But this one felt much more final.   
  
“ Who do you thinks getting the votes?” A voice asked from behind him. Lewis whirled around in surprise. Speak of the…well hardly a devil.   
  
“ Dick! Um…hi?” Lewis grinned awkwardly upon seeing his best friend who gave him a warm, if small, smile and walked closer. “I’m not even sure on that one. They’ve all got a lot of pent up frustration right now.”   
  
Dick nodded his understanding. Undoubtedly the blue team did have some issues to work out. Though the red team’s time was certainly coming as well. As for him? He refused to let some gosh darn reality show steal his best friend from him. It was no longer in him to remain passive about the whole thing.    
  
He was Nix’s best friend- that meant something to him. It meant that it was his responsibility to make sure Nix stayed sane, healthy and happy. Dick would not let this job change one of the most important people in his life. Lewis had always been there for him- if not in the most conventional ways. It would hardly do for Dick to give up on him without a fight.    
  
And Dick never lost a fight.    
  
“ Well,” he said to his obviously nervous friend, “There is something I would like to discuss with you. Should the elimination go a certain way.”   
  
Lewis raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “What’s that?”   
  
“ Later.” Dick told him before pointing to where the last ballot was being dropped.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Gene didn’t really have it in him to be pissed off when his name was called as having gotten the most votes, with 3 votes being for him. He wasn’t all that outspoken to begin with and decided to leave the anger and outburst to Babe who was cursing up a storm and muttering the word ‘unfair’ quite a bit.    
  
He scooted closer to the irritated teen and hooked their arms together. “Cool off.” He whispered in the younger man’s ear- which seemed to have turned red in anger. It made him smile. How could he be upset with Babe in his corner?   
  
The words seemed to have their intended effect as Babe slumped into him and turned the sad eyes on. “This blows.” He summed up dejectedly.   
  
Gene shrugged as if to say ‘what can you do?’ before tuning back into Nixon’s speech.    
  
“ There is, however, a bit of a tie for who will be going into the arena with him.” Nixon informed them. “The two people with the next amount of votes are Sobel and Webster with 2 votes each.”   
  
Liebgott and Bill groaned- knowing exactly what this meant. Lewis nodded, “That’s right. In the case of a tie it’s the Captain’s responsibility to choose who will be going into the arena. Guess the position doesn’t seem so lame NOW, does it? Sobel?”   
  
Sobel shrugged, acting as if he felt bad (the twit), “Well I can’t just vote for myself now can I?”   
  
“ If you wanted to do us all a favor you could.” Liebgott deadpanned from the log behind him.    
  
The Captain glared, “Despite your much appreciated input Liebgott, I have to vote for Webster.”   
  
David sighed and fell back onto the sand. “Well shit.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ That’s some pretty epic shit.” Luz decided after Bill told them which of his teammates would be in the arena tomorrow. He didn’t like Bill but he’d suffer his presence before he left him alone to be all chummy with Jo.   
  
Bill nodded, “Guess they can have it out. Although the real animosity is between Babe and Webster.”   
  
Jo shook his head, “It’s not as epic as it’s going to be when I find the shit who’s been voting for me.”   
  
“ Now that’s a mystery even I want to see solved.” Bill agreed.   
  
“ Yeah? Would you fight for my honor?” Jo teased.    
  
Bill just glared. “You wish.”   
  
“ Ouch.” Toye looked wounded and put a hand to his chest. “Well now you have to get me another beer-since you hurt my feelings.”   
  
“ Your feelings are fine. I’m not your freaking butler.” Bill retorted. Then Jo made a pitiful face- was his lower lip actually sticking out? Bill sighed. “Fine. I’ll get your damn beer you princess.”   
  
“ Thanks baby.” Jo smirked.   
  
But as Bill began to stand, Luz hopped up, “You know what? I can get it Bill.”   
  
Bill gave him a weird look, “Luz it’s fine. I got it.”   
  
“ I’m almost out of beer myself anyway.” The shorter man replied.   
  
“ But-”   
  
However it obviously wasn’t up for discussion as Luz sped off in the direction of the kitchen. The two men watched him go, Jo looking particularly perplexed.   
  
Bill looked down at him before returning to his seat. “So you need to keep your crazy ass admirer in check before I get hurt  _ honey _ .”   
  
At that jab however, Jo looked irritable. “There’s nothing, nor will there ever be anything, between me and Luz.” He stated, sounding awfully definitive.   
  
“ Why not?” Bill wondered. Sure there was the whole Buck thing but still it wasn’t like he and Luz were freaking engaged and Bill KNEW Jo had a thing for Luz. Had known for a long time.   
  
Jo shook his head, “I don’t want to get into it. You already know how I feel about the whole idea.”   
  
Bill shrugged. He knew Jo’s policy of keeping the drama low, but that was when it seemed like Luz was into Buck. If Jo kept ignoring Luz’s attention he might unwittingly cause an even bigger problem. But Bill could tell that Jo didn’t want to discuss it and since he still needed the cameras to think he had feelings for Toye-the last thing he was going to do was suggest that the man go for what he wanted.    
  
They would just have to let the whole thing run its course and keep their heads low when it blew up.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Webster and Joe had managed to find their way back to Joe’s bed, where they laid much closer than before. Joe was tired and therefore in a much more relaxed state, his arm slung over Webster’s chest and their legs entwined.    
  
They hadn’t bothered to pick up the shards of glass or tidy up any of the aftermath of Liebgott’s earlier outburst. “You’ll be okay.” Joe mumbled into his pillow.   
  
“ You’re so reassuring.” Webster stated dryly but with a smirk aimed at the ceiling. Joe flicked his ear lazily and when David turned to glare at him he pressed their lips together in a kiss.   
  
David groaned and turned onto his side to slide his hand up to Joe’s hip, he gave it a small squeeze and his heart did the undignified act of fluttering when he felt Joe’s mouth form a smile. Then the other man pulled away slowly.   
  
“ I’m tired.” Joe muttered, his eyelids sliding closed.   
  
Webster nodded before placing a kiss to the side of Joe’s neck. “I know you are. We can sleep.”   
  
“ You’ll be okay.” Joe repeated as he began to drift off.   
  
David squeezed the man’s bony hip one more time. “I believe you.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ With balance like that you’ll never win the challenge!” Babe scolded from the edge of the pool, peering down at the unfortunate med student he had just sent into the water.   
  
Gene laughed, “Babe I don’t think I have to worry about my balance. Are you coming in or not?”   
  
Babe shrugged. “I’m thinking about it.” He said but then jumped into the water with a large splash. He grinned as Gene shielded himself from the flying water. “Ugh I have got the most annoying song stuck in my head.”   
  
The two of them had decided that the best course of action was to just not worry about tomorrow too much and enjoy each other. Gene had repeatedly assured Babe that, no matter the outcome, he wasn’t going anywhere. The older man grinned at the casual nature of their conversation. “What song’s that?”   
  
“ Freaking ‘Dancing Queen’.”   
  
“ ABBA seems like your thing.”   
  
“ Hey!”   
  
They laughed as Luz lazily floated by and sang, “ _ Young and sweet  _ _**only 17** _ _. _ ”   
  
Babe glared and Gene blushed at the obvious implication. Then Buck swam over and flipped Luz’s float, sending the man into the water in quite a display of flailing limbs. Babe snickered.    
  
“ Well I just snagged my tiny person. Anyone up for a game of chicken?” Buck asked while Luz let out an unmanly squeak as he found himself on Buck’s shoulders.    
  
Babe and Gene looked at each other and shrugged. “I’m taller.” Babe argued.   
  
“ Yeah but my balance is shit, remember?” Gene grinned as he swam up to the teen. He smacked a wet kiss to Babe’s cheek before saying, “Besides I know you want to dunk him for that crack.”   
  
Babe grinned, “You so get me. Alright Luz prepare to go down!”   
  
“ Bring it!” the brunette crowed from his perch on Buck’s broad shoulders.   
  
Evans watched in fascination as Jo and Perconte sipped beer next to Bill. “My money’s on Luz.” Frank commented to Bill, who laughed.   
  
“ Yeah of course it is. But people underestimate Babe. Luz doesn’t stand a chance.” Bill declared.   
  
“ 10 bucks says you’re wrong.”   
  
“ You’re on.”   
  
Speirs popped up behind them and surveyed the scene. “I’ll get in on that.”   
  
  
  
  
  
**Three minutes later**   
  
  
  
There was a loud splash.   
  
“ Take that shorty! HA! Red team SUCKS.” Babe cackled from atop Gene’s shoulders.   
  
Luz popped up from underneath the water, “We’re going two out of three!”   
  
Bill smirked before turning to the two red team members, “You both owe me $10.” He said before walking off.    
  
Perconte cursed and Speirs watched him go before turning to look at Lipton, who was observing the water games in amusement. “I just lost 10 dollars.” He told the blonde.   
  
Lipton smiled, “So I heard.”   
  
“ Not going to console me?”   
  
That got a laugh as Carwood shook his head, “You shouldn’t gamble.”   
  
Speirs grinned and sat next to him, “So you were married?”   
  
Lipton looked at him in surprise, obviously not having been prepared for that. “Um…yes. I was.” He told him, still mildly embarrassed that everyone now knew his business thanks to the previous challenge. “You went to jail.”   
  
“ I’m the first guy you ever kissed.”   
  
Lipton blushed, “You sound so pleased.”   
  
Speirs studied Carwood’s face as the other man looked away from him. “That because I am.” He told him.    
  
Then, softer, so that Lipton couldn’t hear, he admitted to himself, “I’d be more pleased if I was the only one you ever kissed again.”   
  
Because he wasn’t sure how to handle that himself.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Webster groaned as he was roughly shaken, his shoulder snared in a tight grip and someone’s finger nails digging into his skin. Blinking his eyes open he swatted at the hand lazily before allowing it to roll him over   
  
“ Hey- you up?” Liebgott asked in a hoarse voice as he stared down at David, his lips wrapped around a cigarette.   
  
David, for his part, just glared at his bed mate. “What do you think? And are you crazy? Don’t smoke in here!”   
  
He sat up swiftly and jerked the cigarette from Joe’s mouth. “How long have you been awake?” He asked the other man while stomping the butt on the nightstand.    
  
Joe shrugged, “Four or five hours?”   
  
“ What time is it?” Webster wondered before turning over to survey the clock. “9:30? Did you get any rest?”   
  
“ A bit. I’m not the one with the big day so it’s not like it matters.”    
  
At that David frowned, “Joe, either way the arena works out, you still have a challenge and you’re going through de-“ David paused, remember that the rooms had been refitted with sharper microphones since Bill and he had locked the cameramen out earlier. “You’re going through a lot. You need your rest.”   
  
“ Whatever Mom.”   
  
“ Besides,” Webster continued, “what did you even DO for four to five hours?”   
  
Here Liebgott tucked his chin to his chest and grumbled something. When David asked him again he glared and haughtily replied, “I watched you sleep okay? Freaking torture it out of me why don’t you?”   
  
David smiled and Joe rolled his eyes, “Don’t look so pleased. It’s just that…you could be going home today…that’s all.”   
  
Leaning forward and putting a hand on Liebgott’s neck David shook his head, “Not going to happen. Remember? You said I’d be fine.”   
  
Joe met his eyes at that and nodded slowly. “Yeah…yeah you will be.”   
  
“ Okay then.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dick watched Nixon chat excitedly with Harry for a moment before deciding to make his way over to his friends. Upon reaching them he tapped Lewis on the shoulder. The host spun around and grinned at him uneasily, “Hey Dick!”   
  
Lewis had been nervous about Dick’s change in attitude, and for good reason he thought. Why would Dick suddenly stop being mad at him? He was a man of firm convictions and if he had changed his tune then there was a reason for it- and it was only logical that Nixon be nervous.    
  
Still he couldn’t help the relief he felt to have Dick smiling at him again.    
  
“ What are you guys talking about?” Winters asked them.   
  
“ Just your little proposal regarding Renee’s dilemma.” Harry informed him. “Sink approved- thinks it’s a great idea all round- should it come to that of course.”   
  
Dick tilted his head with a smile. “Of course.”   
  
Then there was some radio activity and they were updated that the contestants were on their way to the arena. “Well I guess we’ll know soon enough.”   
  
Nixon nodded, “That’s my cue.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The two teams sat in relative silence as the crew brought out Nixon’s Wheel of Doom. Luz trying to distract himself from Bill and Jo’s silent communication across the bleachers by playing a flirty game of thumb war with Buck.    
  
Babe and Gene had their heads bent towards each other and were whispering while Liebgott sat looking bored by Webster’s side, having decided that he would not allow himself to feel nervous. Or anything really. After last night’s violent incident the last thing he needed was to get upset again.    
  
Finally they were all brought to attention by their flamboyant host clapping his hands loudly. “Alright, alright. You’ve all been here plenty of times so you know this tune. The Blue team lost yesterday’s I’ve Never challenge and were forced to vote 2 of their players into the Arena. Those players who got the most votes must now compete in order to determine who stays in the competition. Webster, Roe please come down to the Arena floor where I will determine…your fate.”   
  
Perconte pursed his lips after Nixon finished his speech. “Actually that whole spiel sounded kinda different. Are you channeling Ryan Seacrest or something?”   
  
“ How dare you!” Nixon seethed “I’ll have you know that hack would be NOWHERE if he hadn’t-”   
  
Dick flailed his arms at the host and Lewis huffed, understanding that that was a rant for another, untelevised, time.    
  
Grumbling, the host made his way over to the Wheel of Doom and gave it a rough spin. The contestants merely rolled their eyes collectively at his bitchy mood.    
  
As the Wheel continued to spin, multiple Blue players twisted around nervously, this outcome very important to them all.    
  
Aside from the obviously interested parties, Sobel believed he had something riding on this as well. Though it seemed hopeless considering Webster and Liebgott’s relationship, the Blue captain still firmly believed that Webster was a rational being that may be in certain instances swayed to see things from his perspective. He’d hate to lose a potential ally.    
  
Finally the Wheel came to a stop on…   
  
“ The DUEL!” Nixon grinned widely, “That’s kind of exciting, huh? Haven’t seen that one in a while. Granted there’s no puking…well there may be inadvertent puking should one of you get hit in the stomach so yeah…awesome!”   
  
Webster and Gene eyed each other for a moment, they had both prepared themselves as best as they could for the Arena, and what challenge did they get? The one that relied the most on who was feeling lucky.    
  
“ Suit up while he re-explains the rules.” Winters whispered to them as he steered them towards the ‘safety’ crew.    
  
  
  
  


**Casa De Losers**

  
  
  
  
  
“ Stop jumping on me!” Skip hollered at Don who was bouncing around on top of the blonde’s bed.   
  
“ Get UP!”   
  
“ It’s not even 1 o’clock and I have a massive hangover. So unless you are butt ass naked right now and holding whipped cream in your hands then I’m not all that interested.”    
  
Malarkey just rolled his eyes and looked at a cringing Penkala. “He’s kidding.” He tried to assure Skip’s best friend who made a face and looked away.   
  
He then continued to bounce on Skip’s bed. “Don’t you want to see who’s coming from our team!?”   
  
“ NO! They’re both boring and not you so I’m not interested in sleeping with them.”   
  
“ UGH!” Penkala covered his ears, “Stop talking about sex.”   
  
“ YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hoobler frowned as they gathered together. “This is going to be interesting. There’s really no skill needed for this challenge.”   
  
“ Not being doped up might help.” Grant mumbled.   
  
Cobb glared, “Shut it! We’re all sick of hearing it!”   
  
“ You shut up! Just because you sucked legitimately doesn’t mean that-”   
  
“ Both of you shut up before I throw your behinds outside!” Shifty snapped and they quieted down. “Now I personally want to watch this so everyone just keep quiet.”   
  
All the eliminated contestants, save Skip who couldn’t be coerced out of bed and Don who had been practically shackled to the same bed by him, settled down to watch the arena challenge.   
  
  
  
  
  


**In The Arena**

  
  
  
  
  
As Gene’s feet came to rest on the platform high above the arena ground he tried not to think about all the ways this could go wrong. But knowing what he did about the limits of the human body, he couldn’t quite help himself. He tapped his protective eye wear and waited for Nixon to give them further instructions.    
  
After being told to do so, the 2 men walked and met up at the center of the arena. They gave each other a slight nod, acknowledging each other like boxers in the ring. Gene may not have been happy with how much Webster had upset Babe and his fragile relationship, but he was convinced that everything the other man was doing was for Liebgott even if he didn’t understand how. And Gene could respect the man’s motivations.    
  
Turning around they waited for Nixon’s to speak once more.   
  
“ Now remember,” The host shouted up to them through his megaphone, “When I give the signal you will take ten steps to the edge of the platform, turn around and fire your weapon. The first one to fall or hit the mat below the platform loses the one to one challenge. Are you ready?”   
  
The two men held their arms out in affirmation. Nixon nodded to himself and sounded the bullhorn.   
  
The two men quickly began to take their measured steps to the edge of the platform and away from one another. Turning around as swiftly as they could the two contestants lifted their duel guns practically simultaneously and fired.   
  
The rubber bullets hit each man at exactly the same time. Webster felt the rubber hit him hard in the chest and staggered backwards.   
  
Gene was hit in the shoulder and had a similar reaction to David except, just as he had already known and Babe had jokingly reminded him last night, he didn’t have the best balance and he fell backwards off the platform mere seconds before David followed.    
  
The teams in the bleachers watched as first Roe, then Webster, hit the mats with a thud. Babe cursed ferociously and punched the bleachers, causing Liebgott to jump.   
  
“ Fucking OW!” The teen cried, clutching his hand before hopping the divider and rushing over to where Gene had fallen.    
  
He slid down next to the immobile man quickly and cupped his head in his hands before gently sliding the goggles off of Gene’s face. “Damn Gene. Are you alright?”   
  
Gene winced as he looked up into Babe’s eyes. He rested his hand atop Babe’s on the side of his face. “I’m fine. Just got the wind knocked out of me is all. Don’t worry.”   
  
Babe laughed and leaned down, kissing Gene’s lips softly.   
  
David watched the scene as he struggled to his feet, both relieved to have won and remain in the competition with Joe and aware that now Babe REALLY hated him. Well he supposed he couldn’t have it both ways.    
  
Joe gave him a small nod as he approached before sliding discreetly to the divider to meet him. They didn’t kiss, or embrace, just merely let their fingers brush underneath the wooden fence separating them.    
  
“ Told you.” Liebgott whispered with a smile before heading down to where the other contestants were gathering before Nixon.   
  
Nixon, for his part, just shrugged, “This is generally where I tell you the obvious. You know? That Webster won and Gene has to say goodbye to everybody and stuff. Except Roe’s kind of got his hands full with his barely legal boyfriend over there-”   
  
The host jerked a thumb to where Babe and Gene were making out underneath the platform. “And besides,” He continued. “We on the show, being the ones to make decisions and all, have decided that though he lost the arena challenge and can no longer compete- Gene can still be a part of the show.”   
  
“ What!?” Babe hollered from across the arena.   
  
“ Oh THAT got your attention, did it?” Nixon asked, smirking as the teenager shot up and practically dragged Gene behind him to rejoin the group.   
  
“ Now what’s going on?” Gene asked in confusion, something the others were all feeling as well.   
  
Here Winters stepped in, “Gene we came to a consensus and decided that should you lose we would like to offer you the opportunity to stay here on the Island and work alongside Renee in the infirmary. She could certainly use the help and I have a feeling that you wouldn’t mind the extra experience. Plus there are other obvious benefits.”   
  
Gene laughed, “Um…wow. Of course I’ll do it.”   
  
Babe crushed him in a hug and everyone shook his hand. Webster sighed in relief, hoping that maybe now his friendship with Babe could still be repaired.   
  
“ So no goodbyes for today then!” Nixon announced, actually looking pretty happy himself. He had finally been able to give Dick something that he wanted. A way to make the show safer and some of the contestants happy. All while being able to pitch it to Sink as free labor and extra footage of a developing romance.    
  
“ But now it’s time for your next challenge. So let’s go!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**The Challenge**

  
  
  
  
“ Welcome contestants,” Nixon began, “to your latest challenge.” He gestured around the clearing they were in. “You may remember this place as the setting of your first team challenge of Capture the Flag. Where you all learned to work together as a team for the first time. Over the last few days we’ve been building your ability to trust, rely upon and know your teammates. Hopefully you’ve learned something about each other. Because before I explain the challenge I have a task for the all of you.”   
  
The contestants looked around in confusion as Winters and Nixon began to hand out sheets and pencils to them all.    
  
“ On here you will see numbers 1 through 6. Since there are now 6 players on each of your teams there is a slot for each player. What you need to do is HONESTLY and anonymously rank who you think is most valuable to your team. We will then compile your answers into an overall ranking system. Get started and think very carefully about your answers.” The host explained.   
  
All of the contestants began to scribble furiously only to pause and erase and start the whole process over again. After several minutes they had all finally finished their assessments and Winters was collecting their sheets.   
  
He and Nixon went over the results for a while, the cameras off of them and just hanging around to catch some shots of the players as they compiled a list from the contestant’s answers.   
  
Finally Nixon motioned for them to come on the scene as he held one list in his hand with Dick waiting behind him holding something as well.    
  
“ Now I know that you all might get a wee bit embarrassed about all this but the fact is that you all contribute something to your team. What Dick is holding is a number that will be attached to each of you, labeling your rank within your team. There are only 6 of you on each team so don’t cry if you have the lowest rank. There aren’t that many spots.” Nixon rambled on to them. “Besides we need the easy identification for this challenge.”   
  
He turned to the list in his hand. “The most valuable players according to your list Blue team goes as follows. Bill, then Liebgott, then Sobel (seriously?), then Babe, then Webster, and finally Evans.”   
  
Webster frowned as Winters stuck a blue number 5 to his shirt. The only person that sucked worse than him was Evans? Whatever. Besides Nixon was right, there were only 6 of them now.   
  
“ And for the red team it goes Speirs, then Toye, then Buck, then Lipton, then Luz, then Perconte.”   
  
“ Hey!” Perconte whined, “why are the short people ranked lowest?”   
  
“ They’re all against us!” Luz whispered jokingly to him, not caring about the number on his shirt.   
  
Winters smiled at their playfulness. “Now you’re probably wondering why you all had to do that.”   
  
They all nodded.   
  
“ Well,” he continued. “It’s actually an intricate part of your challenge for today. How much do you value your teammates? That’s the lesson. Have you been appreciating their contributions enough? You’ll hopefully realize by the time the day is over.”   
  
Nixon nodded. “Because we’ve noticed that you guys LOVE to gamble.”   
  
“ Not all of us.” Lipton pointed out.   
  
“ MOST of you.” The host quickly amended. “And for today’s challenge each top ranked player will be playing a gambling game on behalf of their team and the stakes are going to be high. VERY high. Because your betting material? Is your teammates.”   
  
Lewis couldn’t help but grin evilly as they all looked at him in shock and confusion. He began to elaborate. “Only your top ranked players will actually be competing in this challenge. Here’s how it’s going to work. We will issue a series of 7 tasks for your best player to complete. The one who successfully completes the most will win the challenge for their team. However in order to play he must put a teammate up as stakes. If he loses or simply fails to complete the task, he loses the player he bet to the other team. By the end of the challenge the winning team’s Captain will choose from the accumulated players he has which ones he wants to keep and which ones he doesn’t.”   
  
They all gaped at him.    
  
“ Now do you understand the stakes? By the time this challenge is over- you may have some new players on your team. So play wisely.”   
  
“ Holy shit Dude.” Luz was the first to speak. “This is freaking crazy.”   
  
Speirs nodded. “Let’s just remain calm. There’s no guarantee that anything has to change. I wouldn’t trade any of you for Evans.”   
  
“ A couple more things,” Dick cut in. “When the players bet their teammates, they must be as close in value as possible. If one player bets their #2 guy, you have to as well. Unless for whatever reason you have already lost that person in which case you will have to bet your next highest ranked player. Also no matter where they are at the end, Captains are immune to the switch. Meaning if Red team winds up with Sobel, he will choose someone to take his place and the red team will make their choice from that person and whoever else they may have. Do we all understand the rules of this challenge?”   
  
Everyone nodded hesitantly. Dick smiled, “Good then. Let’s get started.”   
  
  
  
  
  


**First Task**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
For their first task the teams were taken out into the forest where over a large, rock filled ditch a tree trunk had fallen over. Nixon pointed to it.    
  
“ First task is to walk across this…on your hands.”   
  
“ You realize if they fall they could be severely injured?” Lipton asked with a frown, his worry evident.   
  
Nixon waved him off, “Psst it’s not THAT hard. Besides, we have Gene now…I’m sure they’d get fixed right up.” He turned to the top ranked players, “Now if either of you refuse to do it then you give the win to the other team.”   
  
Bill and Speirs, both with their colored #1’s stuck to their chests, sized the other up. Finally Bill nodded, “Fine I’ll do it. I’ll bet Webster.”   
  
Webster huffed, not liking being bet for obvious reasons. Speirs considered it briefly then said, “Well I’m willing to bet Buck.”   
  
“ Oh raising the stakes pretty early.” Nixon noted as Bill frowned. Buck was their #3 which meant in order to even try and win it he would have to bet Sobel, who could put whomever he wanted on the red team’s list of choices.   
  
“ No bet.” Bill decided. He’d take a loss and a shot in the arena before letting the team get picked apart on Sobel’s whim.   
  
Speirs shrugged and they walked away, Lipton merely relieved that they didn’t have to do such a foolish and dangerous task.   
  
“ Good call man.” Liebgott whispered encouragingly to Bill, who nodded.    
  
“ Thanks #2.”   
  
“ You better not freaking call me that.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Second Task**

  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So that first task was pretty disappointing. This next one is pretty cool though.” Nixon grinned as they all found themselves next to the same contraptions that had once held the 2 Josephs captive in an underwater box, only this time it was different.   
  
“ Are those fucking sharks!?” Babe gaped.   
  
“ That they are!” Nixon confirmed with a grin. “Behind me in these two pools of water are 3 sharks and a cage. In order to win the challenge you must spend the longest amount of time underwater with the sharks. It’s really more of a ‘who can hold their breath the longest’ thing. The sharks are mostly for the shock factor.”   
  
Bill shrugged, “I’ll bet..I dunno Evans.”   
  
Speirs considered it. “Fine..Perconte.”   
  
They shook on it and made their way to the cages.   
  
Babe hid behind his hands, “I can’t watch this.”   
  
They both stripped down and climbed up to the tops of their respective pools before they stood in their cages and were lowered into the shark infested water.   
  
“ Oh Lord.” Toye grimaced as the sharks swam around the cages and the timer began.    
  
After a shocking minute and a half bubbles flew out of Speirs mouth as he coughed and motioned with his hand to be pulled up. Bill gave out a few seconds later.    
  
The two men were released from their cages, hacking up a storm. Babe and Liebgott fussed over Bill as Speirs managed to remain stoic in the face of his loss.   
  
Nixon lightly grabbed Perconte and led him over to stand with the blue team. “Alright since Speirs was the first out of the shark water that means the Blue team won the second round and Perconte. Who, should he want to, Bill can bet again. He still, however, will count as a sixth ranked player.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Third Task**

  
  
  
  
They are all once again brought to another familiar spot, the final leg of their trail. The one that saw the blue team treed by a jaguar and the red team caught in a series of booby traps. They come up to two trees with a long rope tied from a branch on each one.   
  
Nixon gestured to the rope. “For this task each player will have their feet tied before being hoisted into the air, where they will be hanging from their tree branch upside down. Your feet are actually locked together by ankle cuffs tied to the rope. At the top of the rope, on the tree branch there is a key that will unlock your cuffs. The first to free themselves wins.”   
  
Speirs nodded. “I’ll bet Toye.”   
  
“ Whoa.” Luz spun around, “Easy tiger that’s our #2 guy. Are you sure?”   
  
The red Captain regarded him coolly, knowing that Luz would have protested even had Toye been their #6 guy. “Yeah I’m sure.”   
  
Not willing to back down again and feeling confident (though out of breath) from his last win, Bill agreed. “Okay. I’ll match it with Liebgott.”   
  
Besides if he won it’d be cool having Jo on his team.    
  
Their host grinned, “Now those are the kind of bets I like to see! Let’s get you guys locked in.   
  
  
  
Speirs grimaced as they hoisted him into the air, all the blood rushing to his head. It was bad enough that he was out of breath. But he had bet his best player for a reason. He knew he could win. Odd as it was he had been in stranger tangles than this and he had beat the net they had sprung on him and Lipton easily.   
  
Propelling himself forward he began the motion of swinging himself towards his tree’s trunk as Bill tried to pull himself up to reach his rope and climb up that way. It was a good plan, but gravity made it more than a little difficult to just sit up and grab your own feet.   
  
Finally Speirs found a hold on his tree and steadied himself. Twisting around to the shouts of his team below, he leveraged himself up and got a hand on the rope holding him in the air. Acting swiftly he grasped the rope with both hands and began to pull himself up using all his upper body strength.    
  
On the other tree Bill was finding out that what worked well in theory wasn’t as applicable in reality and came to the independent decision to try basically what Ron had done. The only problem was by the time he had a good grasp on the rope tied to his feet, Ron was already at the end of his and pulling himself up onto the tree branch.   
  
Grabbing the key that was waiting for him, Ron made quick work of the ankle cuffs and tossed them to the ground below. Nixon sounded the air horn.   
  
“ RED TEAM WINS!”   
  
Winters helped cut Bill down as Ron slid back down the rope and to the ground on his own. Nixon grabbed Liebgott and mixed him into the red team.    
  
“ Because Ron completed this task the quickest he not only gets to keep Toye but he won a Liebgott!”   
  
“ A Liebgott?” Joe frowned at the host in anger.   
  
“ Geez just a joke.” Nixon held his hands up. “Anyway on to the NEXT TASK!”   
  
  
  
  


**Fourth Task**

  
  
  
  
  
Bill and Speirs looked down into the muddy puddle which they’d been told they had to scour through to find some dumb artifact. Speirs didn’t really feel like doing this considering that he was still dizzy and weak from the last challenge and he knew the perfect way to make Bill forfeit.   
  
Ron decided to bet Liebgott, it was no risk to his remaining team and it still counted as the highest bet he could make. The only way for Bill to match it would be to bet Sobel, his #3 and highest remaining player.    
  
But Ron already knew that Bill’s distrust of his Captain would cause him to pass. Which is exactly what Bill did, to the dismay of his teammates.   
  
“ We could have won Joe back!” David snapped at Bill.   
  
Bill just rolled his eyes. “Don’t be naïve, Web. Even if we win, Sobel will get rid of Liebgott at all costs. He’s the biggest threat to him.”   
  
“ Don’t you mean other than you?” Webster shot back.   
  
And Bill honestly hadn’t thought of that.   
  
  
  
  
  


**Fifth Task**

  
  
  
  
  
Next they all found themselves further into the forest and standing over the tallest drop they had ever seen on the island.    
  
Evans gaped as they were all unloaded from the SUVs. “Um…h-how high up are we?”   
  
Putting a hand on the blond contestant’s shoulder, Winters gave him a reassuring smile, “About 500 feet up. Don’t worry- you’re not going anywhere near the edge.”   
  
“ SO,” The host shouted to get their attention, “since your best players got all Nancy about the mud challenge it’s time to get right into our fifth task. And this one has base jumping!”   
  
“ Awesome.” Bill deadpanned.   
  
Speirs shrugged but the rest of the contestants looked shocked.    
  
“ Um is that really the best idea?” Toye asked. “I mean there’s a lot that could go wrong.”   
  
“ Hey guys- these are according to the all of you the best of the best.” Nixon told them, “Well you know…ever since Christenson got laid up. I think they can handle a little base jumping. Right guys?”   
  
He turned to look at Speirs and Bill. Bill frowned, “Like we have a choice. What’s the actual task?”   
  
The host held his arm out to point to the edge of the cliff, “Come and see for yourselves.”   
  
Evans quickly shook his head, “No thank you.” While the others brave enough to peer over the mountain side shuffled over slowly.   
  
Looking down they couldn’t really see much, considering the distance. It all kind of looked like dirt. “What am I looking at?” Liebgott asked, voicing all their thoughts.   
  
“ That,” Nixon began to speak, “is awesome. You guys really can’t see it? Okay well let’s get a couple of binoculars out here for our two players.”   
  
He snapped his fingers and soon Talbert was scrambling out of the SUV, a pair of binoculars in his hand. “I could only fine one.” The intern confessed,   
  
The host just rolled his eyes and handed them to Speirs, the closest one to him. “Take a look.”   
  
Training the binoculars to the ground below Speirs searched around before he found what he assumed he had been meant to find. “That’s a giant bull’s eye.”   
  
He wordlessly handed the tool over to Bill so he could take a look as well. Bill frowned, “So what? We jump, pull the chute and try to land as close to the center as possible?”   
  
Nixon just stared silently for a moment. “Yeah that’s…that’s pretty much it. Way to ruin my big explanation.”   
  
“ Nobody wanted to hear it.” Liebgott sneered at him.    
  
The host just glared back, “Fine. But have either of you ever BEEN base jumping?”   
  
The two #1’s just shook their heads, Bill looking apprehensive and Speirs looking…well pretty much the same.   
  
Luz leaned in to whisper to Buck, “Deep down Speirs is one crazy son of a bitch, I bet he’s excited about this. We’ve got it in the bag.”   
  
“ We’ll see.” Buck smiled.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
Winters could see the wheels turning in the heads of the two players before him. Dick had just finished given them a crash course in base jumping and…   
  
Wow….this show just continued to worry him when he had to say phrases like that.    
  
But still, they seemed not to be as concerned about their inexperience in base jumping as he had suspected they would and the moment he asked them if they had any questions they both shook their heads.    
  
“ Okay then. Well if you’re sure….”   
  
“ I’m ready.”Bill told him certainly.    
  
Speirs nodded in agreement. “Let’s get this over with.”   
  
Nixon smiled as they made their way, all suited up, over to the cliff’s edge once more. “Okay,” He began. “So far the Red team has 3 wins and the Blue team has 1. So the Blue team HAS to win this task in order to continue playing the game. If they lose the Red team wins the whole challenge. So who are we betting?”   
  
Speirs decided to consult with his teammates before placing a bet this time, since they were so close to winning and there were a lot of opinions about how he should precede.    
  
Bill wasn’t sure at first who to bet but then Babe wandered over to him and leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Bet me.”   
  
Bill frowned, “Why?”   
  
“ I’ve been listening to the Red team and they don’t want him to bet carelessly or raise anymore. They want him to bet Liebgott but he said no. Either way you can’t forfeit this time. But if you bet me he’ll be forced to bet Lipton at least- which I don’t think he will. He might forfeit.”   
  
The blue #1 shook his head, “He’s still ahead. Why lose outright when you still have a chance of winning? I should just bet Webster.”   
  
“ Yeah but then you get Luz- who hates you. Besides he might be willing to settle on a higher bet. I’m the second highest you can make.” Babe told him.    
  
“ What if I lose though?” Bill asked in concern not willing to lose his good friend to the other team.    
  
“ Well unlike our lame leader I don’t think Speirs has any desire to split up his team.” Babe informed him.    
  
Bill nodded. “Okay. But are you sure?”   
  
“ Yeah, it’ll be fine. I don’t think anything will come out of all this, although I hate that we might have to go to the arena again.”   
  
“ Fine.” Bill agreed before turning to Nixon. “I’m betting Babe.”   
  
The moment he said it Speirs twitched. They all stared at him.    
  
“ You alright?” Buck asked him.    
  
The Red Captain jerked his head in an apparent nod. He had just had a conference with his team who insisted that he no longer raise the stakes so that they could finish the challenge without losing any more valuable players. Unfortunately he knew exactly who his #4 was- Lipton.    
  
Nixon looked at him expectantly. “So?”   
  
Speirs spun around before walking over to Lipton, who knew that he was up to bet. “Look,” The Captain spoke to the blond man who he had increasingly strong feelings for, “I don’t have to do this. I’d rather not even risk it…”   
  
Lipton just laughed, “I think you can win.”   
  
“ It’s not that.” Speirs insisted, “I just…I would never…if it was up to me. But you guys… Look I don’t want to lose you.”   
  
Carwood understood what he was saying. “Ron it’s okay.”   
  
“ I don’t just mean in this challenge,” Ron clarified quickly. “Just….promise that whatever happens. After all this bullshit is over, and we’re off this damn island. When all the cameras are gone...promise me that you’ll be there.”    
  
After this, Lipton just stared at him, momentarily speechless. He had never seen Ron like this. But he knew how he felt and it was a no brainer. “I promise.” He told the other man earnestly.    
  
Ron gave him what could only be called a bright smile. Something that made Lipton’s stomach do flips. HE had put that smile on Ron’s face…the man only ever smiled like that at him.    
  
Having said and heard all he needed to in order to feel secure in his decision, Speirs turned to Nixon. “I’ll take that bet. Let’s do this.”   
  
The host grinned. “Excellent. “   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ So who is going first?” Lewis asked.    
  
Bill raised a hand to indicate that he would be the first to jump. When the host looked at Speirs for confirmation the man merely shrugged.    
  
“ Alright then. Get your running start, take your jump and then wait around 16 seconds before you pull your chute. Whoever lands closest to the bull’s eye wins. Are we clear?”   
  
“ Crystal.” Bill answered.   
  
“ Okay get ready-” The host started him off, “GO!”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sprinting to the edge of the cliff for all he was worth, Bill flung himself over the edge and then-   
  
Whoa…   
  
It was unlike anything he’d ever felt in reality before, perhaps equal to the flying sensation one felt in their dreams but…even that hadn’t and couldn’t have been so exhilarating.    
  
Bill hadn’t realized until he was in free fall just how high up they really were. He’d known that there were mountains higher than he could crane his neck so it stood to reason there would be cliffs as well but Jesus.    
  
With the wind whipping through his hair it occurred to Bill that it might have been past the 16 second mark. Or was it?    
  
Shit, this wasn’t good. Images of Christenson looking dead with his leg all mangled flew back into his head and whether it was time or not, Bill reached back to the spot that Dick had repeatedly made him reach to earlier and pulled his chute.    
  
The parachute flew out, momentarily jerked him up and then Bill just let out a breath he’d been unaware he was holding as he coasted down further towards the giant target on the ground.    
  
Holding his legs together, as he had been instructed, he attempted to use them to direct himself closer to the center.    
  
As he thudded to the ground, he wondered- if this was only the fifth challenge- what the FUCK were the other two?    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ He’s down!” Nixon shouted from his perch next to the edge of the cliff.    
  
At these words, Babe peeled his fingers away from his eyes. “Down as in…?”   
  
“ As in on the ground you little worry wort.” Liebgott retorted, flicking the teen on the head.    
  
“ Where’d he land?” Webster asked anxiously.    
  
The host shrugged, “I dunno. Let me ask Dick.”   
  
They all turned expecting to see Winters behind them but he was nowhere to be seen.    
  
Evans looked around. “I’m confused.”   
  
Nixon rolled his eyes. “Shocker.” He muttered before pointing over the cliff. “He’s down there.”   
  
Buck laughed, “Of course he is.”   
  
Luz gaped at that. “The fuck did he get down there so fast?” he asked.    
  
“ Dick’s a closet sports guy. He taught them about base jumping because he’s done it plenty of times. He tested this cliff earlier to measure the fall. He brought his own pack and jumped off at a different point.” Lewis explained with an odd sort of pride. Dick was kind of awesome like that. “You guys really should pay better attention.”   
  
“ Yeah sorry we were all worried about our friend dying.” Toye grunted with a frown.    
  
“ Who was worried?” Luz asked with a smirk. Toye glared at him while Sobel just shrugged.    
  
Nixon adjusted his aviators before turning away from them and brought his hand radio up to his mouth. “Dick this is Lewis. Do you copy?”   
  
“ Is he serious?” Lipton wondered, eyebrow lifted.    
  
“ _ Yeah Lew I hear you. Please don’t use Copy or Over. Alright? I got enough of those when we were testing them. Bill’s fine and we're marking his landing spot in blue. You should be able to see it with the binoculars.” _   
  
“ Alright we’ll take a look,” Lewis replied with a frown, “…over.”   
  
And Dick  _ really _ didn’t need to get back on the radio just so Lewis could hear his exasperated sigh, did he?   
  
“ FLOYD!” Lewis shouted over his shoulder while simultaneously snapping his fingers. “Bring me the binoculars.”   
  
The intern scrambled over so quickly that Webster worried he might go head first over the cliff. Although a mean, jealous, part of him wasn’t TOO worried about it.    
  
Nixon snatched the tool out of Talbert’s hands and looked over the edge. He let out a whistle. “That is pretty damn good.” He told them before looking back to Speirs and holding the binoculars out to him. “Wanna see?”   
  
Speirs held up a hand. “I’m good.”   
  
The radio crackled back to life,  “ _ Alright.” _ came Winters’ voice.  “ _ We’re ready for the next jumper.” _   
  
“ You heard the man.” The host spoke up. “Are you ready Speirs?”   
  
The man nodded silently.    
  
Nixon grinned. “All right get ready….GO!”   
  
The red Captain was off in a shot, leaving everyone staring at the spot he’d been at.   
  
  
  
  
  
Once Ron was over the edge there really wasn’t much to it. Sure he’d never been base jumping off of cliffs or anything- he lived in Boston for Christ’s sake. But he’d jumped off of buildings before.    
  
Usually to other buildings, or fire escapes, the occasional dumpster…his job was more complicated that one might think.    
  
He patiently counted out his 16 seconds before calmly pulling his chute. When the parachute jerked him up he gritted his teeth and straightened out his legs, keeping his eyes on the target as he floated down to the ground.    
  
  
After he was on the ground, Ron wrestled with his parachute before finally freeing himself. “Don’t move!” A voice called out to his right and he looked over to see Harry waving at him frantically from behind a cameraman.    
  
Then Winters, along with Skinny, his camera and posse in tow, came over to him carrying a can of red spray paint. Bill trailed behind them in burning curiosity.    
  
When they reached him Bill cursed and Skinny grinned. Speirs looked down below his feet.    
  
Bull’s eye.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
All the contestants were now gathered at the bottom of the cliff, staring at the large target sheet.    
  
“ Holy shit.” Perconte summed up for them all. “That is really fucking close.”   
  
It was so close, in fact, that the red and blue spray paint that was put down actually overlapped, with Speirs looking to have just barely beaten Bill to the center of a rather large target.    
  
Ron silently slid up next to Lipton and placed a discreet kiss to his temple. “You’re very good motivation.” Carwood couldn’t help but smile.    
  
“ RED TEAM WINS!” Nixon shouted in excitement.   
  
The blue team seemed to deflate, the sting of their second consecutive loss taking its toll. Sobel glared at Bill. “Way to lose it for us. You could have at least ATTEMPTED those other two challenges instead of wussing out.”   
  
“ Do you really want to go, asshole?” Bill asked in irritation. “I mean really. Let’s just go.”   
  
“ Hey cool it!” Randleman snapped at them from the edge of the camera men. “Much as I’m sure viewers will want to see you give Sobel an ass bruising I got a paycheck in my account that says it ain’t happening.”   
  
The two cooled under the threat but still glared at one another intensely. “Besides,” Winters hopped in, “this challenge isn’t quite concluded. Right Nix?”   
  
Nixon pouted as the threat of violence died down, but went back to work. “That’s right. Because the Red team won, it’s up to their top player- Speirs-to decide who he wants to keep on his team. Perconte you’re free to rejoin the red team.”   
  
The man walked away from where he had been mixed into the blue team and went to stand with his teammates.    
  
“ Now,” the host continued. “Because Speirs won both Liebgott, in the second challenge, and Babe, just now in this challenge, he can choose 5 players he wants to keep on the Red team from the both of them as well as his original team. The left over 2 will be on the Blue team. So Speirs- what’s it going to be?”   
  
Every pair of eyes gathered there focused in on him, and with a sigh he moved away from Lipton rather reluctantly. Scanning over his options with a blank face he considered what would be best for his team.    
  
“ I know I said things didn’t have to change.” Ron told them, “But I feel responsible for this team. If this team does well every person on it goes further in the competition. Which, whether you’ve considered it or not, is what you’re all here for. That being said- I’m keeping Babe and Liebgott.”   
  
“ What!?” Babe yelped in alarm.    
  
Liebgott just stared at Speirs as if he had grown two heads. “Are you fucking serious?”   
  
Ron eyed them coolly. “You’re both good players and I’m more than glad to have you.”   
  
“ Then who are you getting rid of?” Toye asked in concern.   
  
Here Ron sighed. “Perconte, I’m sorry, but you’re our weakest player and at this point, you’re a liability. I have to cut you.”   
  
“ Are you serious?” Frank sputtered. When Speirs nodded curtly Perconte just crossed his arms and stalked over to the blue team, who looked rather shell shocked.   
  
Speirs turned back to the inquiring looks of his captive audience, before turning his gaze to Luz.    
  
“ Oh Goddamnit.” The short man groaned.   
  
“ Luz, I like you, and understand this isn’t because you’re a weak player. You’re not and if circumstances were different- I’d keep you on. But for reasons I’m sure you understand- you’re a danger to our team. “ Speirs explained.   
  
The two held eyes for a moment before Luz nodded. “I understand.” He told Ron. The truth was that he did understand. If anyone saw the ramifications of Luz’s growing feelings for Toye, it had to be Speirs. Luz couldn’t fault him for worrying about the team.   
  
Making his way over to the blue team, Luz stood next to Perconte, who was still seething in anger and apparent betrayal.    
  
Babe leaned over to Liebgott, “I look even worse in red than I do in blue.”   
  
Joe frowned. “At least we’re not on a team with Sobel anymore. That fucking asshole.”   
  
“ Yeah.” Babe agreed. “Or Bill or Webster.”   
  
“ Shit.”   
  
The two reshaped teams stared at one another for a long moment. Things were definitely going to be different.

 


	15. Think Inside the Box

**Disclaimer:** I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and  **not the actual soldiers** . Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!   
  
  
Gene decided that working in the infirmary probably wouldn’t be so bad after all. Especially not if Babe was going to keep visiting him like this.    
  
He was referring to Babe showing up out of the blue, shoving him back onto an exam bed and jumping on top of him with an expression of manic joy. Once the teen had pulled his lips away from where he had momentarily glued them to Gene’s he blurted out. “So guess what?”   
  
Of course before Gene even had time to guess Babe continued on. “I’m on the Red team now!” the younger man informed him with a pained expression. A far cry from the look of glee he’d sported only seconds earlier.   
  
Gene just stared at him, his mind trying to recoup from the surprise kiss attack and focus on what Babe was saying. Fortunately Christenson, who was sequestered away in a room across from them, voiced Gene’s thoughts perfectly.    
  
“ Wait…what the fuck? HOW?”   
  
Babe shrugged as though the man could see him before hopping off of Gene to go and speak to the injured Red player. As Babe poked his head into Burton’s room Roe could hear him say, “What’s up teammate? How’s the leg?”   
  
And since it was Gene’s job to keep an eye on Christenson anyway, he decided he didn’t mind sharing Babe’s attention for now and went to follow and listen to the story.   
  
  
  
Joe knew he didn’t have to be seated on the couch, just a breath away from the Red team members that were milling about in the kitchen, but he wasn’t sure where else to be.    
  
The Blue team (his old team) were off somewhere deliberating on who to send to the arena. It was beyond strange to just be sitting there, not teamed up with Bill and trying to get rid of Sobel. Without his vote who knew when that prick would go!   
  
While Joe speculated on the future of the Blue team, Toye plopped down beside him unexpectedly- two beers in his hands. Joe gave him an irritated look, but there was no real heat behind it.    
  
Toye just laughed at his bitchy expression. “Sorry to spook you. Here you go.” He said, handing Liebgott a Corona. “So two Joes on one team, huh? That should be fun.”   
  
“ What are you? The welcoming committee?” Liebgott asked with a sneer as he popped off the top of the beer. He was never one to turn down booze. It was just too bad for Toye that he was in enough of a shitty mood to be borderline hostile.    
  
For his part Toye just shrugged, “Look I know you don’t like this. I don’t think anyone does really- but we all gotta make the most of it, right? No reason to fight it. At least now you don’t have to worry about Sobel or being up for elimination tonight.”   
  
With that bit of wisdom dispensed, Toye clinked his bottle against Joe’s before patting the other man’s leg encouragingly and walking off.    
  
  
  
  
Out by the pool and through the glass doors, Webster and Luz saw the two men’s exchange. Luz grimaced at Toye’s actions and David shot the shorter man a sympathetic look that was tempered with scorn. Luz was a bit of a drama queen after all. “He’s just being friendly. You know Toye.”   
  
“ Whatever. You know you should be more worried! They totally had their flirt on during that poker game.” Luz reminded him.    
  
“ Well I’m not worried. Because unlike you and Toye, I actually have something going on with Liebgott and besides-aren’t you supposed to be with Buck? You’re really not fooling anyone, I don’t know why you keep playing these games,” Webster told his new teammate.   
  
“ Why don’t you mind your own business for once Webster?” Luz growled, in the worst mood he could remember being in. “And you can say what you want but remember this- no one controls Liebgott. Even I know that.”   
  
Luz just hoped that Webster had enough of a hold on Liebgott. The guy had already hooked up with three people in the house! Well if you included Floyd, which George did seeing as he was always lurking about the house somewhere. He’d better not get his claws into Toye too. Luz was having enough of a hard time keeping him away from Bill.    
  
Damn his infatuation was exhausting.    
  
  
  
Bill waited in agitation as his least favorite teammate and his blonde shadow came bearing down on him. “Sobel.” He greeted the man curtly once he’d arrived.    
  
“ Bill look, I don’t like you and you don’t like me but we both know one of the new guys needs to go.” Sobel said, cutting straight to the point.   
  
“ I know that, huh?” Bill prompted. He wasn’t about to just align himself with Sobel. Sure he’d been thinking about one of the new guys for his vote but he didn’t see how they could actually be a bigger threat than the Blue captain, at least not as far as he was concerned.   
  
“ Don’t be an idiot Guarnere.” Sobel seethed, clearly in no mood for games. “No one gets any further in this competition if our team doesn’t start winning challenges and the Red team didn’t exactly do us a favor by keeping Liebgott and Heffron and saddling us with their two worst players. They need to go. Think about it.”   
  
That was apparently all that he had to say on the matter as he spun on his heel and stalked away from Bill and towards the backyard. Evans, who had been standing there silently, gave Bill an absentminded wave before following his leader.    
  
The Hell of the thing was…that Bill thought Sobel had a point.    
  
  
  


**On The Beach**

  
  
  
“ So,” Nixon started off coyly, leaning into Dick’s line of vision as the Blue team was casting their votes on who to send into the Arena in the morning.    
  
Dick smiled at his friend. “So?” He prompted.   
  
“ So your birthday is in 3 days.”   
  
At this the red headed man actually rolled his eyes. “Gosh Nix don’t make a thing out of this. I don’t get you and birthdays.”   
  
The host held his hands up quickly. “I’m not making a thing. I swear.” He assured his friend. “Although…I bet I could wrangle us a boat...maybe take a day off from filming. What do you say? Little vacation?”   
  
“ Lew look around you,” Dick said gesturing to the ocean behind them. “We’re already on vacation. I know birthdays are a big deal to you but considering some of the things you did for Harry’s birthday last year you can probably understand why I’m apprehensive.”   
  
“ Everyone likes stripper grams!”   
  
Winters snorted at Nixon’s defense. “I think his fiancé begs to differ.”   
  
“ I would never do that to you anyway.” Lewis told his friend.   
  
“ Duly noted. Let’s just count the votes and forget about this, okay?” Dick suggested as they went to stand behind the ballot box.    
  
‘ Not a chance,’ Nixon thought to himself. Dick deserved a memorable birthday and by God he was going to get it. But right now there was shit to do.    
  
  
  
  
Perconte sat on a log, nervously twitching his leg. This was beyond weird. And unfair- he couldn’t stress just how unfair it all was.    
  
Sitting beside him Luz seemed relatively calm, albeit irritated-most likely because he wasn’t on Toye and Buck’s team any longer. Either way Frank knew they were both pretty screwed. He’d voted for Sobel…it seemed like enough people disliked the Captain and it might just get him into the Arena. Luz had voted, he knew, for Bill, more out of jealousy and dislike than anything substantial.    
  
“ Okay Blue team. Clearly things are a little strange for you right now,” Nixon started them all off, “and you’ve got some new faces. But you still had to cast your votes. So let’s see whose faces are going into the arena tomorrow!”   
  
Suddenly the host pulled the box of votes out of nowhere, ready to produce the results. “So it looks like the two players who got the most votes and are going into the Arena are…SOBEL!”   
  
The Blue Captain rolled his eyes and glared at Bill, who shrugged. “And,” the host continued, “PENKALA!”   
  
“ Wait- Penkala isn’t here anymore.” Frank pointed out.   
  
Nixon frowned. “Oh….wait what’s your name?” He asked Frank.    
  
“ Perconte…”   
  
“ Oh well then I mean- PERCONTE!”   
  
“ Damn it.”   
  
  
  


**Casa De Losers**

  
  
  
  
“ Okay me and Perconte look nothing alike!” Penkala exclaimed as he and some of the other cast offs watched the live stream of the ongoing competition that Harry had provided for them.    
  
Skip rolled his eyes. “What you should be commenting on,” he pointed out to his best friend, “Is how retarded Nixon can be.”   
  
At this point Shifty had wandered in, as it turned out-they weren’t all enraptured by the everyday going ons of the remaining contestants…what with living in a mansion on the mainland and being practically camera free.    
  
“ I know it’s not my place,” the kind young man started out, “but does anyone else think that Nixon is in love with Mr. Winters?”   
  
At this Skip began to laugh so raucously that he actually fell off the couch. “Oh God Shifty…you crack me up.”   
  
“ Yeah Shift we noticed that on like the 3rd day!” Grant hollered from the kitchen where he and Malarkey were adding an increasingly bizarre list of foods to what Skip had been promised would be a pepperoni pizza.    
  
“ Well now I just feel silly.” The Virginia boy frowned.   
  
Malarkey waved him off, “Don’t. Just focus on who we are going to get stuck with tomorrow. And by that I mean pray it isn’t Sobel!”   
  
“ Yeah but with that line of thinking you would want Sobel to win.” Blithe muttered as he inspected the pizza.    
  
“ Huh. He makes a good point.” Skip said with a nod. “Okay well than let’s talk about this. You guys stole Babe from us!”   
  
“ Dude that shit was insane.”   
  
“ I totally wasn’t expecting that.”   
  
“ You guys got Luz!”   
  
“ Yeah but he’s been acting all crazy lately.”   
  
“ Oh and when the fuck are they going to send Christenson over here? I miss his stupid ass.”   
  
“ We  _ all _ miss his ass. Trust me.”   
  
That line of chatter continued on long enough for Blithe to sneak some fruit onto the pizza. With everything else that was on it…he doubted anyone would care.    
  
  
  


**Back on the Island**

  
  
  
As the Blue team trudged up to the house after their voting session, Luz felt some conflicting emotions. On the one hand he was pissed that Bill hadn’t gone in, and on the other he was sad that Perconte had, seeing as Frank was probably his best friend on this show.    
  
But above all of that was the guilty relief he felt at escaping the arena this time around. Although he knew that his luck couldn’t last. The next time the Blue team lost…it would be his ass on the line.    
  
He melancholy mood dissipated however when he saw Buck and Toye sitting side by side by the pool, as close to the beach as they could get. They were chatting amicably, but it was clear to anyone that they were waiting on the Blue team to return. Luz beamed and headed their way, slightly ahead of the others.   
  
Buck stood to greet him, a fearful look on his face. Luz shook his head and told him, “I’m safe.” The news caused Buck to break out into an intolerably attractive grin, reminding Luz why he liked the man enough not to cut him loose.   
  
His good mood was ruined however when Toye said nothing to his news other than, “What about Bill?”   
  
Luz had to stomp down the irrational jealousy that swelled in his chest, “He’s-”   
  
“ Right here. What’s up?” Bill asked as he strode into their radius.   
  
Toye sent him a knowing smirk that Luz couldn’t decipher. “Just wondering if you’d manage to elude elimination, baby.”   
  
And even though Toye could throw out the husky endearment of ‘baby’ to just about anyone, it was the casual manner of his speech, Luz still clenched his fists. “He’s fine.” He spat out. “Sobel and Perconte are going into the Arena and I’m going to go get a drink.”   
  
Buck raised an eyebrow at his retreating form before shrugging. “Well that sucks about Frank. I better go find him and get him moderately buzzed.”   
  
Toye laughed, “Yeah call it his penance for all the times he tried to get me drunk before the Arena.”   
  
“ Alright man I’ll see you inside. Let me know if you ever find out what’s pissing Luz off.” Buck said before heading back to the house. Although they both already knew what his problem was.    
  
After they were both gone, Jo turned to look at Bill in amusement. “Our lives have gotten so much more interesting recently.”   
  
“ Glad you’re enjoying yourself.” Bill told him. “Oh also? I hate you.”   
  
“ No you don’t. You have deep seated feelings of repressed man-love for me.”   
  
“ Fuck off.”   
  
  
  
  


**In the Arena**

  
  
  
“ Aww look at the inter team fraternization.” Nixon said to Dick, nudging his shoulder before pointing over to where Liebgott and Webster were seated practically in each other’s laps and talking with their heads bent toward one another.    
  
“ They’re allowed to sit together Nix.” Dick said with a small smile. “Besides they’ve been a thing for a while.”   
  
“ True.” Nixon conceded, “but now their love is so star crossed and tragic.”   
  
Here Dick frowned, “You don’t know the half of it.”   
  
“ Say what?”   
  
The judge shook his head, “Nothing. Sorry.” The truth was that while it wasn’t difficult keeping secrets that he knew he ought to keep, and Liebgott’s drug use definitely needed to stay under wraps, he hated lying to Nix. Even if was just a lie of omission.    
  
“ Not that I really care,” Floyd interrupted from behind them, “but shouldn’t we get this started? It’s almost noon.”   
  
Nixon frowned at the young man. “Talbert you’re the worst intern ever! You don’t care about anything since you violated rules and slept with a contestant. But since we’re not paying you I can see why you went for it. Although Liebgott?”   
  
“ IT WAS MAGICAL!” Floyd shouted, interrupting any critique that Nixon had of the contestant and stomping off.    
  
The host just sniggered. “I lied,” he told Dick, “he’s the best intern ever. He’s so damn easy to mess with.”   
  
Dick just rolled his eyes. “Well he does have a point. It’s almost twelve, we should get started.”   
  
“ Yeah, yeah.”   
  
  
  
Up in the stands Bill, who was seated next to Toye, decided to ignore Nixon’s long winded regurgitation of the previous day’s events. Instead he tapped Jo’s knee. “Hey.” He whispered to his friend.   
  
“ Yes?”   
  
“ You should make a move with Luz.” Bill told him.    
  
Jo’s jaw clenched. “No. I shouldn’t.”   
  
“ I disagree.”    
  
“ Well I disagree with your face!”   
  
Bill blinked at him. “What?”   
  
His friend looked disturbed. “Wow.” Jo muttered. “I totally just said that. Babe’s only been on my team for like a day and his speech is already rubbing off on me.”   
  
“ He is a little freak.” Bill admitted.   
  
“ Yeah but seriously Bill I don’t know why you keep harping on the Luz thing.” Toye said. “I don’t even know if I want to do anything about it now anyway. With the way he’s been acting.”   
  
Bill rolled his eyes. “Toye, Luz could literally slit my throat and you would still have a thing for him.”   
  
Just as Jo was about to reply, they heard an indignant cry of “WHAT?” from the arena below them. Maybe they should have been paying attention after all.    
  
  
  
“ You can’t just PICK the game. You spun it for everyone else!” Perconte shouted at Nixon. “What’s the point of your stupid DOOM wheel if you don’t use it?”   
  
“ Hey it’s the Giant Wheel of Doom! And this isn’t my fault!” The host shot back. “I have bosses you know!”   
  
“ Fuck your bosses!”   
  
“ That would be alarmingly unprofessional and I already got a promotion!”   
  
Frank crossed his arms, “You can’t force me to do this.”   
  
“ Ugh look Perconte, you either play this game or we kill you off in this episode.” Nixon told him.    
  
“ What?”   
  
As the two continued to bicker, Sobel just took a seat and waited. Winters had swooped in to play peacemaker but it didn’t appear to be going well.    
  
“ What the Hell is going on?” Bill asked Babe.    
  
“ Dude. Way to NOT pay attention.” Babe teased him. Bill just gave him a pointed look so the teen continued. “So what happened was that Nixon spun the Wheel and it landed on the Duel. But then he said that they were going to play the food challenge instead.”   
  
“ Why?” Toye asked.    
  
“ Because the producers thought it would seem ironic. All of this footage of Perconte talking about how he doesn’t want to eat gross stuff and then he has to do this challenge? They’re just going to edit it to make it look like it landed on that game.” Babe explained.    
  
“ That’s kind of fucked up.” Bill admitted.    
  
“ According to Nixon, that’s just reality television.”   
  
  
  
  
“ This sucks.” Perconte confirmed. “You all suck.”   
  
He had finally been convinced that the producers of the show, those evil invisible bastards, were not liable to change their minds and he would have to compete in this challenge.   
  
Winters’ continual apologies didn’t make him feel any better.    
  
“ Finally. Damn.” Nixon commented. “By the way we are aware we suck. This is show business. So let’s get on with it! Bring out the game!”   
  
At his command a dart board was un-dramatically wheeled out. Luz frowned, “Frank is so boned.”   
  
“ You don’t know that.” Buck tried to reassure him. “Sobel could be even worse than him. Even if Frank owes people like millions of dollars because of all the dart games he lost.”   
  
“ Okay.” Nixon piped up. “This is how this is gonna work. Once again we have a numbered assortment of disgusting food lined up to my left…”   
  
All the contestants looked over to the table where Webster was sure he saw flies buzzing around. Gross.    
  
“ And their corresponding numbers are placed on the dart board. Whatever number your dart lands closest to? That’s what you eat.” The host told them. “However if you hit the bullseye…you get a free pass. As you can see there is no number in the center. Simple enough right?”   
  
  
The two Blue contestants shrugged. Nixon nodded. “Right.” He answered for them. “And remember the first one to refuse to eat something or pukes loses. OR, though it’s unlikely, if all the food is consumed, the person with the best score wins.”   
  
“ Yeah Frank is boned.” Luz reasserted from in the bleachers. He let his head fall dramatically into his hands. Buck just patted his shoulder in comfort.    
  
  
  
With a put on air of extreme suffering Perconte picked up the dart and launched it at the dart board. Everyone watched as it flew way off base and hit Nixon in the arm.   
  
“ Jesus!” The host exclaimed while rubbing his arm, “I said I was sorry already!”   
  
Sobel smirked, he may not have been the best dart player in the world but it looked like he was better than Perconte.    
  
After a few more misses Perconte finally landed a dart on the board. It hit the number 11.    
  
“ Alright what do we have here?” Nixon spoke as he looked over the contents on the table. “Eww...pigs tongue.”   
  
“ NO!” Perconte hollered, “Fuck this. I quit. You can’t make me.”   
  
“ Damnit Perconte we spent a lot of time digging around the dumpster to find all of this food!” Nixon proclaimed.   
  
Winters furrowed his eyebrows, “What?”   
  
“ And you’re just going to give up? That’s like the second person to do that! You’re all a bunch of quitters!” The host continued to rant, “You could at least TRY to make it interesting.”   
  
“ Oh I will!” Perconte promised wielding a dart as he spun around. Nixon flinched but the contestant threw it down and picked up a plate of foul food from the table and hurled it at the host.    
  
“ Hey!” Nixon cried, dodging some grey slime, but Perconte just kept chucking plate after plate at him.    
  
Up in the stands the teams watched in shock. “He’s having a complete breakdown.” Lipton observed of his old team mate. Speirs just nodded.    
  
“ You don’t feel the least bit responsible for this?” Lipton asked his team captain.    
  
Speirs shook his head stoically, then paused before looking quickly at Lipton. “Why? Do you want me to?”   
  
Lipton laughed and shook his head, turning his attention back to the spectacle in the arena.   
  
“ STOP THROWING SQUID INTESTINES AT ME!”   
  
  
  
  
“ Okay so that went rather unexpectedly.” Nixon remarked from in front of the bleachers, covered in goo and other barely edible gunk.    
  
“ But make no mistake we will be airing that footage.” Harry chimed in from behind Smokey’s camera.    
  
“ Duly noted.” Nixon said with a nod. “Also I hate you.”   
  
Harry just gave him a thumbs up. Nixon sighed, “So Perconte will be leaving the island, although I think he should be in a MENTAL institution-”   
  
“ That’s like the pot calling the kettle nuts,” Bill muttered. Evans looked at him in confusion, clearly not understanding.   
  
“ Whatever!” Nixon snapped, “Perconte’s out, Sobel’s in. Say your goodbyes, I hate all of you, be outside the house in 20 minutes!”   
  
Everyone couldn’t help but snigger as the host stomped off, a grey jelly substance hanging from his hair.   
  
Luz pounced on Perconte with a hoot, “Frank, you’re my fucking hero.”   
  
The bleachers erupted in applause of agreement.    
  
  
  
“ Okay I’m going to take a shower.” Nixon told Harry, Dick and Floyd as they all tried not to laugh at him.    
  
“ Who’s going to tell him?” Harry asked in a choked up voice, about to lose it.   
  
Lewis narrowed his eyes, “Tell me WHAT?”   
  
“ Um,” Dick started as softly as he could, “You…don’t have time. Our production schedule is too tight right now.”   
  
Nixon froze before looking at Talbert. “I’m going to murder you.”   
  
“ What?” The intern exclaimed, “I didn’t do anything!”   
  
“ Maybe not but you’re the most expendable person here!”   
  
Talbert took off running without another breath. Nixon sighed, “Well just roll me in the ocean or something.”   
  
Harry started to crack up loudly and even Dick’s lips were twisted to keep from laughing. “What!?” the host demanded.   
  
“ The challenge is in the jungle.”   
  
“ Today sucks.”   
  
  
  
  


**In the Jungle (the mighty jungle…)**

  
  
  
  
Once the contestants were assembled in the jungle they saw the setup of their next challenge. But it didn’t give much away.   
  
“ What the hell is that?” Buck wondered as he took in the blacked out boxes in the jungle that were set up to make a large circle. They were about the same width as the boxes that Liebgott and Toye had been trapped in during the rescue challenge, but they were taller, clearly meant for someone to be able to stand.    
  
“ THAT is the creation of our last remaining writer. She really wanted to hang you guys over the ocean some more because she’s kind of lazy but we nixed that idea,” Nixon responded from 20 feet away….no one would stand near him with the foul odor he was emitting.    
  
“ Writer? As in just one?” Webster asked. “There’s only one person coming up with all of this?”   
  
“ Well we had more but they quit over the long standing feud over what to name the show.” Winters told them.    
  
“ Yeah and because Harry kept yelling at them.” Nixon added. “And they took their book of good challenge ideas with them so this is being thought up on the fly!”   
  
“ How comforting.” Lipton murmured to Speirs, who smirked at him.   
  
“ So here is the challenge!” Nixon hollered into his megaphone, which all the contestants had prayed was destroyed.   
  
“ Damn it we can hear you just fine!” Liebgott yelled while covering his ears.   
  
“ No you can’t!” Nixon countered. “ANYWAY! This challenge is going to be somewhat like our little I’ve Never challenge.”   
  
“ Awesome.” Webster frowned, remembering the fiasco that challenged had caused when everyone’s secrets took center stage.   
  
“ Everyone has a very specific assigned box that you will start the game standing on. As you likely gathered by now you will all be standing on a trap door,” Nixon explained.   
  
“ Noooo shit.” Luz said with an eye roll. Buck just snorted while Nixon glared.   
  
“ However,” The host continued, “You will all be answering questions about each other! To see how well you have gotten to know your teammates!”   
  
“ What like the Newlywed Game?” Babe asked.   
  
“ Yeah,” Nixon nodded, “although what the Hell you’re doing watching that show at 17 is beyond me.”   
  
“ Well see I got kidnapped in Sante Fe this one time. It was mistaken identity but that lady LOVED the Newlyweds Game and I-”   
  
“ No time!” Dick interrupted, wide eyed at the teen’s tale. “You won’t be standing on the trap doors very long. Because the entirety of this challenge will be spent INSIDE of your box.”   
  
“ Because you see.” Nixon interrupted, “Each of these boxes has been designed to contain something you fear. And the only way to get out is to get at least 2 questions right! The team that has the most people out in 20 minutes wins!”   
  
All the contestants turned to look at the boxes, each of them worried about what it might contain.   
  
  
  


**Casa De Losers**

  
  
  
“ That is fucked up.” Penkala noted, “Glad I’m not in this challenge.”   
  
“ That’s probably because your greatest fear is being bit by a rabid dog.” Skip pointed out.   
  
“ What the Hell could Speirs be afraid of?” Grant couldn’t help but wonder.   
  
Perconte frowned, “Nixon really is evil.”   
  
Blithe looked thoughtful for a moment, “Is that why it asked “What’s your greatest fear?” on that really long questionnaire we had to fill out for the show?”   
  
Everyone groaned, clearly not having thought about that.   
  
… ..Guys really were simple sometimes.   
  
  
  


**The Challenge**

  
  
  
Everyone stood nervously on top of their assigned boxes, some of which had many attachments to the back that made the contestants nervous.    
  
“ Wondering what all that is huh?” Nixon asked from the middle of the giant circle, where he stood at a podium, prepared to ask the questions. “Well I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t entirely KNOW what those are. We bribed some college students to let us test out these weird little simulation boxes you’re standing on. That kind of saved them the trouble of testing them out on monkeys. Otherwise we never could have afforded this crap.”   
  
Speirs looked down at his box when he heard a strange noise. What the Hell was in there?    
  
“ Alright everybody when we count to three you will be dropped in your boxes and the clock will start.” Nixon told them before turning to Evans. “You have your helmet on don’t you Evans?”   
  
The blonde nodded nervously and adjusted his helmet and elbow and knee pads, concerned as to why he needed them.    
  
“ Okay 1…..2….,” Here Nixon smiled maniacally, “3!”   
  
Suddenly the trap doors went out and everyone fell into their box. Not two seconds later the trap doors closed back up and the boxes lit up so that they could all see inside of one another’s containers.   
  
Webster cursed as he was dunked into a box almost entirely filled with water. He couldn’t even stand on the bottom it was so full. He looked up and saw a handle bar at the top of the box and grabbed it swiftly, pulling his head up to get some air. The water came up to his chin with the help of the bar.   
  
“ This is bull shit,” He cursed. How ironic was it that a Marine Biology enthusiast who could swim and owned a boat was afraid of drowning?    
  
“ You people are sick!” He yelled at Nixon who nodded in agreement. “How am I supposed to buzz in!?”   
  
The host pointed up and Webster saw a small button next to the handle bar.   
  
All around the circle people were having strong reactions to the contents of their box.    
  
Evans let out a shriek as his box was hoisted into the air by a rope attached to the back. He fell to his knees on the side of the box and everyone watched in horror as he hung in the air, like a piñata, on the nearby tree. Evans understood his knee pads now.   
  
Nixon grinned, “I’m not gonna lie we are really proud we pulled this off. Our writer has been reading a lot of the Hunger Games so…yeah.”   
  
Speirs looked down at the two cats that were rubbing against his legs before glaring at the host. “Hey idiot!” He called out to Nixon, “I’m not scared of cats. I’m ALLERGIC to cats!”   
  
Nixon whirled around to look at Harry. “I knew we shouldn’t have put that question next to the allergy section! We didn’t put penicillin in there with anyone did we!?”   
  
Harry shook his head just as Toye pounded on his box and yelled, “I can’t fucking breathe in here!”   
  
Nixon shook his head, “It’s just a teeny tiny bit of CS gas that makes it feel like you can’t. You’re fine! You shouldn’t have been so honest when you said you were afraid of suffocating!”   
  
“ Can we start the questions please!?” Bill hollered from his box where a high pitched buzzing noise had him covering his ears. He was afraid of losing his hearing because his father was half deaf. Little did he know that the high pitched noise didn’t really affect his hearing more than any other pitch. But it still freaked him out.   
  
“ Yeah!” Liebgott hollered. “The sooner I get out the sooner I can fucking kill you!”    
  
His box was filled with vines from the jungle, pressing in and tangling him up from every direction. It was a constant feeling of being touched, which sent him into a strange panic. Webster clenched his fists around the handle bar in his box as he saw Liebgott’s silent freak out.   
  
Babe was sitting in a huddle in the back of his box looking frantically from side to side at the funhouse mirrors and swirling images of clowns that stared down at him, creepy clown music playing in the background.   
  
He. Hated. Clowns.   
  
“ **First question is for the Blue Team!”** Nixon yelled into the megaphone.  “ **How tall is Luz?”**   
  
Luz flicked him off from his container, where no one could hear his shouting. Being that his biggest fear was being ignored…or like a ghost that people couldn’t hear, he was put in a sound proof box with a buzzer, a notebook and a pen.    
  
Toye and Buck both buzzed in but Nixon turned to Buck, who was slumped to the ground. His biggest fear was being physically weak and the limited recycled oxygen in his box had him down and feeling heavy.    
  
“ You can’t buzz in for the other team!” Nixon told him, “That’s why this challenge is hard! You’ve got new teams now!”   
  
No one from the Blue Team moved to answer. “Fine on to the Red Team.  **What does your Captain do for a living?** ”   
  
Lipton buzzed in from where he was frozen, his box filled with hissing snakes. “He’s a bouncer at a bar.”    
  
Nixon nodded, “Alright one for Lipton! **Blue Team what is Sobel’s hometown?** ”   
  
Evans quickly buzzed in, “Chicago!”   
  
The right answered dropped his box a little further to the ground and he made a funny noise.    
  
“ **Red Team where does Liebgott live?”**   
  
Babe buzzed in despite his frightened state, “San Francisco!”   
  
“ What!?” Webster called from his box, water rushing into his mouth. “You live in California!?”   
  
“ YEAH!” Liebgott shouted back. “WHY?”   
  
“ I live in California too!”   
  
“ WHAT? HOW COME YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING?”   
  
“ Why didn’t you?”   
  
“ Enough chit chat!” Nixon interrupted them,  “ **Blue Team what is Webster’s first name?”**   
  
There was silence. Webster glared, “Are you guys fucking kidding me?”   
  
But then Bill buzzed in, “It’s David!”   
  
“ Jesus thank you.” Webster bitched from his box.   
  
“ **Red Team how many siblings does Lipton have?”**   
  
Speirs buzzed in from where he was breaking out into a rash and pushing the cats away with his feet. “Just one younger brother!” He answered. Lipton smiled at him.    
  
“ **Okay Blue Team what is Evans favorite hobby?”**   
  
Everyone started buzzing in.   
  
“ Ice skating.”   
  
“ Sail boating.”   
  
“ Paper Mache!”   
  
Evans looked at Sobel with a frown. “I talk about it all the time!”   
  
Sobel cringed as he swatted at the many buzzing bugs that were flying around in his box, knowing that he never really paid much attention to the blonde, more using him than actually being his friend. The truth was that for all Evans talked, Sobel didn’t hear much.    
  
“ It was skate boarding.” Nixon told them dryly before turning to the other side of the circle.  “ **Red Team what is Babe’s favorite TV show?”**   
  
Liebgott buzzed in quickly, “Laguna Beach.”   
  
“ I never told you that!” Babe countered, embarrassed that everyone now knew he watched that show.   
  
“ I know you!”    
  
Nixon snickered,  “ **Okay Blue Team what is Bill’s favorite sport?”**   
  
Luz buzzed in and slapped a piece of paper that said ‘Hockey’ to the side of his box, which he only knew because Jo and Bill talked about it a lot.    
  
“ **Red Team what is Buck’s REAL name?”**   
  
Speirs buzzed in, “It’s Lynn.”   
  
The trap door to his box opened and Speirs climbed out, having gotten 2 questions right. He gave the cats a warning look. “I don’t like you two.” He told them seriously before walking off.    
  
“ Red Team is ahead with one person released from their box!” Nixon warned,  “ **Okay Blue Team where does Luz go to college?”**   
  
They all stared dumbly. Nixon sighed, “He goes to the University of Rhode Island.”   
  
Everyone looked at Luz funny. Luz frowned, why was that weird?   
  
“ **Red Team what food does Toye hate?”**   
  
Buck buzzed in, “Spaghetti. I don’t know why though that’s really weird.”   
  
“ No it isn’t!” Toye wheezed in protest.    
  
“ **Blue Team what is Sobel’s job?”**   
  
Evans buzzed in, “He owns and manages a book store!”   
  
The box Evans was in went to the ground and the top popped open. Evans scrambled to safety.   
  
“ God no wonder you’re such an asshole, you work in retail.” Liebgott noted.    
  
“ Shut up! At least I own something other than a crack pipe.” Sobel retorted as he flailed his arms around his head to ward off the insects.    
  
“ **Red Team what sport did Buck play in college?”**   
  
To everyone’s surprise Liebgott buzzed in. “Football.” He answered, remembering the blonde’s admission to Swifty during Capture the Flag.   
  
Liebgott’s box opened up and he struggled his way out of the vines. When he was out of the box he gave Nixon a dirty look and rubbed viciously at his arms. “Fucking no good sadistic loon.” He grumbled to himself.   
  
“ Whatever.” Nixon dismissed the pissy contestant.  “ **Blue Team! What is Webster’s favorite past time?”**   
  
Sobel buzzed in, “Writing?”   
  
“ Boo. No.” Nixon frowned.    
  
“ Reading?” Bill tried.   
  
“ Ugh. No.”   
  
Luz scribbled something on his note pad and held it up. It read ‘Enabling Liebgott?’.   
  
“ Fuck you guys!” Webster spat.    
  
“ You’re all wrong.” Nixon told them, “It’s sailing.”   
  
“ Webster who the fuck goes sailing when they’re afraid of drowning!?” Bill demanded with his hands cupping his ears.    
  
“ Have you seen who he’s with?” Sobel asked, “The fear of death is probably part of the attraction!”   
  
“ **Red Team,”** Nixon turned to the other side,  “ **What is Lipton’s Bachelor’s degree in?”**   
  
Liebgott made a face, “These questions suck.”   
  
Toye buzzed in, “Business I think.”   
  
“ Correct!” Nixon told him with a smile. “No really I’m proud. **Okay Blue Team! Where does Evans live?** ”   
  
Everyone sat silently. Nixon frowned again, “Wow what the fuck? You guys have been here awhile and you don’t ask each other this stuff? Weak. I’m mean these are some pretty basic questions-”   
  
“ Nobody knows damn it!” Bill cursed, “Get the fuck on with it!”   
  
Evans, for his part, was starting to get upset. Sobel was supposed to be his best friend! He knew everything about the Blue Captain. But Sobel didn’t even remember where he was from!   
  
“ **Red Team, what is Liebgott’s job?”**   
  
Babe began to buzz in like crazy, “He’s a driver- er like a taxi driver. Not like a limo driver that’d be fucking weird and-”   
  
“ You’re good!” Nixon cut him off, “That’s good.”   
  
Babe breathed a sigh of relief as he fled his box. Liebgott clapped him on the shoulder. “Good job buddy.” He told the teen.    
  
He received a glare. “I’mma kill you for that Laguna Beach thing!” Babe hissed.   
  
“ Really? Of all the shit you’ve done on camera THAT’S what you’re upset about?”   
  
Nixon turned to the Blue Team, “You guys are kind of getting your asses beat right now.”   
  
‘ We only have 5 people on our team you cockbite!’……is what Luz angrily wrote down on his pad.   
  
“ For now.” The host warned.  “ **Okay Blue Team how many siblings does Bill have?”**   
  
Luz buzzed in and wrote the number ‘10’ for all to see. Nixon nodded and Luz was released from his box.   
  
“ Jesus.” Liebgott cursed, “Your mom’s vagina must fucking hurt.”   
  
“ Don’t talk about my mother like that you shit head!” Bill yelled. “Besides some of them are half siblings!”   
  
“ **Red Team where did Babe get his nickname?”** Nixon asked. “And for those of you that think it’s an alias or a streetwalker name don’t bother.”   
  
“ EXCUSE me!?” Babe growled. “I will go all South Philly on your ass if you call me a goddamned streetwalker again.”   
  
“ Eh no one seems to know anyway.” Nixon told him. “Good story though.  **Blue Team! What club did Webster start in high school?** ”   
  
Bill buzzed in, “Chess club!”   
  
His box opened up. Webster looked over at Bill from where he was struggling to stay afloat in his box. “I don’t recall telling you that.” He said.   
  
“ Lucky fucking guess Web. I mean you are a huge nerd.” Bill replied with a smug look. He then went to stand next to Liebgott who stared at him for a minute.   
  
“ Sorry about your Mom’s vagina.” Joe told him. Bill smacked him roughly upside the head in response.   
  
Liebgott hissed and rubbed his ear. “Why do you always abuse me? Does your boyfriend know you’re this abusive?” He asked with a smirk, clearly referencing Toye.   
  
Luz screwed his eyes up and didn’t say anything. He’d almost reached his capacity to handle all of this Bill and Jo shit. Bill, luckily, didn’t comment on it and simply rolled his eyes at Liebgott.   
  
“ Enough flirting Liebgott, I have an undeserved paycheck to earn!” Nixon snapped at them. “Okay  **Red Team! Where does Toye volunteer?”**   
  
Bill for his part was annoyed that he knew all the answers for the Red Team. Stupid team switching bullshit, although the Jo thing was a little different. He wondered if Luz knew the answer…   
  
Buck buzzed in however. “He teaches kids how to box at his youth center.” The answer must have been correct because the blond man was released from his box. Luz tried to give him a proper smile and reception but was kind of stuck on how awesome it was that Jo A) boxed and B) volunteered with kids. He should have known those things…   
  
“ Alright Teams things are tied!” Nixon told them. “Only Lipton and Toye are left for the Red Team and they have both answered 1 question correctly already! Webster and Sobel on the Blue Team have yet to answer one right!  **So Blue Team! What did Evans major in at college?”**   
  
Everyone on the sidelines looked at Evans. Finally Liebgott asked, “Dude…you went to college?”   
  
Evans sniffed in offense, “Yes. And I graduated.” Then to prove his intellect he stuck his tongue out at all of them.    
  
There wasn’t a lot of clamoring to answer the question from the Blue Team but finally Webster figured ‘Fuck it’ and buzzed in. “Drama?” He guessed.   
  
Nixon stared at him flatly for a moment. “Yes!” He told him with a smile. “Congratulations on your first right answer!”   
  
“ Gee thanks.” Webster replied dryly.   
  
Evans was as close as he could get to being pissed off. Did WEBSTER really know more about him that Sobel? His so called best friend probably didn’t even know Evans’ first name!   
  
“ **Red Team! Where does Liebgott have a tattoo?”** Nixon asked.   
  
Toye buzzed in, “His right hip bone.”   
  
“ WHY do you know that?” Webster asked angrily from where he was sloshing around in his box.   
  
The Red member coughed against the gas in his unit. “The strip poke game.”   
  
“ He didn’t get that naked!”   
  
“ I was LOOKING okay! Jesus, sue me. I’m a dude.” Toye growled before addressing their host, “Can I get out now?”   
  
Nixon nodded, “Sure…there are a lot of layers to this though. I like it.”   
  
Liebgott was just sitting on the side smugly basking in that fact that Toye had been checking him out (he KNEW it) while Luz was having some sort of eye twitching attack. Babe personally thought Luz could use some downers or something because he was way too wound up. Or maybe he should get laid. Wasn’t that what Buck was for?   
  
Speirs was glad they were ahead, yet he couldn’t help but clench his fists as he watched Lipton in that box of snakes. If he could, he would end this right now, bust that box open and throw a couple of snakes on Nixon. Hadn’t he been reasonable once? The things Carwood did to him. It actually worried him from time to time, how much control the other man had over him, and Lipton didn’t even realize it.    
  
“ **Blue Team! What is Luz’s hidden talent?”** Nixon asked.   
  
This earned a few raised eyebrows, people’s minds immediately going back to the challenge where Luz swallowed a whole duck egg.    
  
“ I’ll give you a hint.” Nixon told them, “It’s NOT perverted.”   
  
There was a chorus of “Oh” from the sideline as Luz glared at them all. Suddenly Webster buzzed in. “He’s really good at fixing stuff.” The Blue member guessed.   
  
“ Yeah,” Liebgott added, “Like when the faucet was leaking and shit.”   
  
Nixon pointed a finger at him, “No helping!! But yes…that’s correct. Webster you are free to struggle out of your box now.”   
  
“ Thanks jerk.” Webster groaned as he struggled out of his container, Bull coming from behind the cameras to assist him.   
  
The water logged blue member slopped his way over to the other bystanders and Liebgott snuck around the rest of the Blue team to wrap his arms around Webster’s midsection. David jumped when Joe licked a drop of water off his neck.   
  
“ Shit.” He cursed then reconsidered, “Although…”   
  
“ You look really sexy right now.”   
  
“ Yeah,” Bill cut in, not really feeling like a front row seat to their foreplay. “Kind of like a drowned rat. Real sexy Web.”   
  
Joe sent Bill a withering glare while Toye snickered at the jab. Webster shot the Red member a look. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you!”   
  
And Toye had to admit, Webster was kind of scary.   
  
Joe grinned wickedly. “I like your angry face.” He told Webster who just laughed, his threat to Toye forgotten.   
  
“ Hey stop grossing everyone out and pay attention.” Babe teased the two of them.   
  
“ AGREED!” Nixon hollered at them. “You know when you guys do interesting shit we have to stop and film it. I need to get on with it!”   
  
“ That’d be great, thank you.” Lipton spoke up nervously, effectively reminding his team that he was encased in a box of snakes.   
  
Toye thought it was weird that Lipton of all people was still trapped in his box. He was their sympathetic ear! Surely he knew the answers to most of these questions. Except he was likely paralyzed with fear…   
  
An idea in his head, Toye made his way over to Speirs as Nixon continued to blather on about how easy he made his job look despite their interruptions.    
  
“ Speirs.” Toye whispered, getting his Team Captain’s attention.    
  
It took Speirs a minute to take his eyes off Lipton. “What is it Toye?”   
  
“ You gotta realize that the only reason Lip isn’t answering all of these questions is because he’s scared.”   
  
The other man’s jaw clenched at these words. It was obviously something he had spent most of his time realizing. “Agreed. What’s your point?”   
  
Jo frowned. “My point IS…that’s your boy. Do something about it.”   
  
Speirs turned to give him his full attention and looked for all of the world as if Toye had just told him that Santa wasn’t real. Just then Nixon spoke up for the next question.   
  
“ **Red Team! Aka Lipton!”** The host shouted,  “ **This question is kind of different. Which member of your team is allergic to-”**   
  
But Nixon trailed off on his question as Speirs broke away from the other bystanders and took up a spot next to Lipton, who was still frozen with fear in his box.   
  
“ Speirs what the Hell?” The host questioned the Red Captain. “You can’t help!”   
  
“ Shut up.” Speirs hissed at him, “You put snakes in there with him, you’re lucky I’m not doing more.”   
  
Nixon stared at him with wide eyes and patiently sat his megaphone down, apparently cowed into temporary obedience.    
  
Then choosing to ignore the host Speirs turned to face Lipton through the glass. “Hey. Look at me.”   
  
Lipton waited a minute but managed to drag his gaze away from the snake crawling over his ankle to meet Speirs’ eyes. “Hey.” He said breathlessly.   
  
Ron just smiled at the other man. “Listen,” He said in the most soothing voice he could muster, “No one cares more about the guys on this team than you do. You know them. You do. Who’s the one who always forced Jo to ice his knee? Or remembered to hide the strong alcohol from Luz? Or, even when he was on the Blue team, made sure Liebgott was getting enough to eat? Who keeps everyone’s morale up when we lose a challenge?”   
  
Lipton just stared at him blankly, “You noticed all of that?”   
  
“ I notice everything about you.” Speirs told him. “And you? You’re the type of man who notices the little things about other people. Just focus on them like you always do and you’ll be out of that box and in my arms before you know it.”   
  
That made Lipton break out into a shaky smile, “That’d be nice.”   
  
“ I’m right here.” Speirs promised. “Just one more question.”   
  
Once they appeared to be done speaking Nixon directed a dry look their way. “Are you guys done?”   
  
Lipton nodded with an amused smile.   
  
“ Are you sure?” The host asked sarcastically, “Because I can give you a few more minutes if you’d like-”   
  
Suddenly a collective groan from the freed contestants erupted from the sideline.   
  
“ Ask the damn question!” Sobel shouted from his box, dodging a couple of giant bugs that he was sure only existed on this stupid island.   
  
“ **The QUESTION WAS…..Which member of your team, Lipton, is allergic to….mangos?”**   
  
Everyone stared.   
  
“ What kind of lame ass question is that?” Joe wondered out loud.   
  
Lipton buzzed in as soon as he could. “None of them are.”   
  
Nixon remained silent for a moment, staring at the last remaining Red contestant stoically.   
  
“ CORRECT! That was a trick question. Boom.” The host rambled on. Then he picked up his megaphone and hollered.  “ **RED TEAM WINS…AGAIN!**   
  
Not waiting for permission, Speirs quickly climbed the ladder to the lid of Lipton’s container and threw it open, extending a hand to the man inside, who eagerly took it and pulled himself to freedom.   
  
On the sidelines the Blue team was looking less than thrilled. Luz was probably the least pleased of all, convinced that their loss meant that he was doomed to face the arena.   
  
Once he was out of the box Lipton acted on impulse, fisting his hands in the front of Ron’s shirt and crashing their lips together. Speirs may have actually gasped in shock, a fact Lipton was somewhat proud of.   
  
Catcalls came from the Red team as the two of them kissed and when Lipton finally pulled away from Ron, the normally stoic man was grinning, something even Carwood couldn’t recall seeing on his face. He counted himself lucky for the gentle smiles.    
  
“ Where did that come from?” The Captain asked.   
  
Lipton just grinned back, “You came through for me.”   
  
“ And I always will.”   
  
  
  
  
Nixon rolled his eyes, “Very touching. Blue Team since you lost this challenge-thanks to your Captain’s inability to know anything about any of you-”   
  
“ Hey!” Sobel spoke up, “Aren’t you supposed to be neutral? You can’t just throw that heat on me.”   
  
“ Sorry dude.” The host responded, “I calls them like I sees them. Anyway- since you all lost be on the beach in 1 hour, ready to cast your votes for the arena.”   
  
As the Blue Team began to walk back to the vehicles dejectedly Toye popped into Bill’s path. “I forgot to tell you that you’re not allowed to leave yet, so don’t fuck up if you go to the Arena.”   
  
Bill just rolled his eyes. “While touched, I think I’m good.”    
  
“ Yeah well what do you know? Closet case.”   
  
“ Shut up.”   
  
Luz listened to the two of them banter and couldn’t help but wonder why Toye was even worried about Bill when everyone had to know that he himself was the one likely to be sent in with Sobel. And he also couldn’t help wondering how it came to be that Bill was the first person that Jo even thought to worry about. When did Toye stop caring about him? And more importantly…   
  
How was he going to get that attention back?   
  
It was these thoughts that filled his mind moreso than worry about the arena, as they drove back to the house and away from the challenge.   
  
  
  
  
Back at the house, it was business as usual for the Blue Team.    
  
Liebgott accosted Bill and Webster the moment they were inside, “You guys are still voting for Sobel right?”   
  
“ Jesus Joe,” Bill rolled his eyes, “Go celebrate your victory, don’t worry about this shit. Yes I still plan to vote for Sobel.”   
  
“ Good.” Liebgott said with a nod, “Webster?”   
  
“ Ugh. Yes. I promise. Are you happy?” The man in question asked.   
  
Joe grinned, “Oh you have no idea.” That said he placed a quick kiss on Webster’s lips and sauntered off. Bill snorted before turning to his teammate, “You’re so fucking whipped.”   
  
“ Shut up.”   
  
“ It’s kind of sad.”   
  
“ Shut UP.”   
  
  
  
  
  
Sobel was busy nursing his many bug bites when Evans finally came up to him. “Finally,” The Captain said upon seeing him. “There you are. I’ve given it some thought and despite my intense dislike of Bill, I think we should probably cut Luz loose.”   
  
“ No.” Evans said, his voice sounding shaky.   
  
Sobel looked up in surprise, “No what?”   
  
“ No, I’m not listening to you anymore!”   
  
When Sobel simply looked confused, Evans lost his temper. “You don’t know WHERE I’M FROM!? Are you SERIOUS!?”   
  
“ Lower your voice!” Sobel hissed, his eyes wide. It was too late, of course, everyone in their vicinity- including the few members left on the Blue team- had already heard Evans shouting and were paying them close attention.    
  
“ NO!” Evans hollered, clearly enraged. “You can’t boss me around anymore! I thought you were my friend! But you aren’t! I bet you never even liked me at all! YOU JUST USED ME! I HATE you!”   
  
That was apparently all that he wanted to say because he put his degree in theater to good use and dramatically spun around and stomped away. Sobel just sat there, shell shocked.    
  
Catching sight of all of the eyes on him he stood up and glared at his audience. “What the Hell are you all looking at?” He asked before heading off, not really caring for a response.   
  
This new development changed things.   
  
  


**On the Beach**

  
  
  
  
Nixon couldn’t help but look over the 5 remaining contestants on the Blue Team with pity. “That’s just sad.”   
  
Winters smiled at his friend’s tone. “They’ll be okay. I’m sure we can figure out a challenge that won’t make their handicap of having less people be too much of a disadvantage.”   
  
“ Whatever you say. Oh, by the way, Harry said the marketing is going great, people are getting fired up for the premiere in a week or so.”    
  
“ What?” Dick asked, obviously shocked, “I thought we were going to finish shooting before we aired. How is that even possible!? We never named the show!”   
  
Nixon shrugged, “Ah Harry said that Sink decided to incorporate a lot of behind the scenes footage and make it kind of a show ABOUT the show? And apparently having no name is some sort of marketing stunt/running gag that they want to use to encourage people to watch and vote on a name for the show.”   
  
For his part, Dick still looked confused, even at the explanation. “That seems kind of….dumb?”   
  
“ Yeah well your average viewer isn’t that smart.” Lewis retorted.   
  
“ Wait...a show about a show?” Dick pondered over that before asking, “Does that mean there will be footage of the all of us? Like just being ourselves and talking to each other? I don’t remember signing anything about after hour’s footage but I guess if we were around the contestants or it was during our onscreen time it could be used for the show. That must mean that anything we said when our mikes were on is fair game…”   
  
At this revelation, Lewis went completely still. Tossing the box of ballots at Dick, he turned on his heel and took off.    
  
“ Where are you going?” Dick called after his retreating form.   
  
“ I have to call Harry!”   
  
Dick frowned, what was that all about? With a shake of his head he just turned to face the contestants, who didn’t seem remotely surprised by Lewis’s random freak out. “Uh…I guess I’ll just tally these up real quick since there aren’t too many to count.”   
  
“ We get it.” Luz griped, “We suck.”   
  
“ Yeah you don’t have to rub it in.” Sobel added.   
  
Holding up his hands in surrender, Winters hoped it conveyed an apology. He popped the ballot box open and looked them over.    
  
3 for Sobel. 1 for Bill.    
  
And 1 for Evans….but the one for Evans was clearly in Sobel’s handwriting. Which meant it was to be counted twice.    
  
Winters cleared his throat. “It looks like Evans and Sobel will be going into the arena tomorrow at noon. You guys get some rest. We’ll see you then.”   
  
After he left them, the contestants all just looked at each other.    
  
“ That was kind of lackluster.” Webster noted.   
  
Bill nodded, “Is it weird that I kind of missed Nixon doing that?”   
  
The two of them retreated together, the only friendship that still seemed to exist on the Blue Team going with them.   
  
Luz was next to stomp off, clearly upset that Bill hadn’t faced elimination directly. Sobel thought the little brat should just be glad it wasn’t him going in.    
  
Finally it was just he and Evans remaining on the logs in silence. Well them and a cameraman of course.   
  
“ You voted for me didn’t you?” Evans finally asked, still clearly angry.   
  
Sobel nodded, “Yes. I did.”   
  
The frown on Evans face looked so wrong, and Sobel couldn’t help but feel terrible for putting it there. “Why did you vote for me?” His once ally asked.   
  
To be honest, even Sobel couldn’t put his finger on why he had voted for the blonde. “I think, I did it because you deserve the chance to send me home. Because you were right when you said that all I ever did was use you.” He confessed, “And…well…I’m actually sorry about that.”   
  
“ I don’t believe you.” Evans responded.   
  
Sobel stood up and began to walk away but paused, adding, “I guess I don’t blame you for that. But it’s the truth. I’m sorry. I should have accepted your friendship when it was offered to me. I guess I’m just not built that way. Good luck tomorrow. I mean it.”

 


	16. One Man's Treasure is Another Man's Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Red and Blue teams contemplate their futures as their numbers dwindle and things come to ahead when more secrets are revealed- and not just between the contestants!

**Disclaimer:**  I’m not making any money off of writing this story. It’s entirely fictional and based on the performances given in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and   **not the actual soldiers**  . Any ideas or challenges borrowed from a reality show belong to the creators of that show, not me. I don’t own anything…so please don’t sue me. I wrote it for your enjoyment so…enjoy!   
  


  


  


“Ugh thank God.” Joe stated in relief at Webster’s news about the vote. “I’m so sick of the both of them that either one getting gone is good in my book.”

Webster could only half hear him, seeing as he had chosen to lock himself in the bathroom. There was a small crash from the closed door and David’s eyes widened in alarm. “Joe what the fuck are you doing in there?”

“Just- look I’m really feeling riled up and I just need to be alone,” Liebgott shouted from his haven. He’d started getting restless when they’d watched the Blue team leave to cast their votes and all he could do was sit and _crave_ the drugs he’d finally had the willpower to get rid of.

“Well I don’t think you need to be alone right now.” David retorted, “So I’m not going anywhere.”

Suddenly all Joe could think about was how the Blue team would only have 4 people left, and soon David could be gone. And their moments together, all of them, would be defined by his using.

He was such a fuck up.

Some invisible ball of agitation and rage rolled up his spine and he clenched the edge of the sink and looked at his sickly reflection in the mirror. How the fuck could David want him now? Much less when this was all over? When they were back in the real world where Joe had left all his problems behind. With a force he hadn’t anticipated from himself, Joe drew his hand back and drove his fist into the mirror. As the glass shattered noisily, shards flying every which way he heard David begin to holler outside.

“FUCK!” Joe shouted, cradling his now bleeding hand. “I thought that’d feel therapeutic goddamn it!”

Just as he was bemoaning his lack of self control the door to the bathroom busted open and Bill and David rushed in to check on him- Smokey and his camera close behind them.

Bill sighed upon seeing his friend’s injury, “Your retardation never ceases to blow my fucking mind. Okay let’s go see Doc.”

  


  


 

  


“Holy shit!” Babe exclaimed upon seeing Liebgott’s bloody hand. “Gross! What happened?”

Gene turned to see what had caused Babe’s intense reaction and frowned, “Sit still I’ll get some antiseptic and stuff to patch it up.” He rushed off to grab the needed items while Babe continued to grill Liebgott about the condition of his hand.

Joe probably hadn’t (for some reason) expected to encounter Babe’s youthful persistence and finally snapped out a half truth. “I accidentally punched a mirror! Okay?”

Smokey let out an incredulous “Psst” from behind his camera that cast doubt on Joe’s tale and Gene couldn’t help but be concerned about the unstable contestant. “Was it an accident?” he asked Joe.

Liebgott just glared at him viciously, the two still far from on good terms. Kind of like Babe and Webster, who were still on shaky terms after Webster jeopardized Babe and Gene’s relationship by revealing Babe’s real age.

Watching the interactions Bill thought it was kind of funny how Joe and Babe’s boyfriends really couldn’t get along with their partner’s closest friend. Probably on account of the fact that the two men had almost slept together.

“What are you a detective or a doctor?” Liebgott asked Roe angrily. “Just fix my damn hand!”

With a grimace Roe mercilessly poured antiseptic over the man’s wound, causing him to howl in pain and shock.

“Neither.” Gene responded to the question, “I’m just a Med student.” That said he took a pair of tweezers and began to pick the embedded shards of glass out of Liebgott’s clenched fist.

Bill nodded in admiration- not enough people really dared to put Joe in his place. Score one point for Doc he figured.

  


  


  


  


  


  


Sobel knew that by now there was no point in regretting any of his actions. He had come onto this show with every intention of making zero friends, and being as outwardly ambitious as he could afford to be. The simple truth was that he had seen enough reality television to know that people always remembered the villain before they remembered the good guys.

Couple that fact with Sobel owning his own business and it only made sense that he would want as much free publicity as possible. People might hate him, or think he was an ass, but the important thing would be that they knew who he was. And that couldn’t hurt his expanding business any.

It wasn’t even as though this was his first time going into the arena. Of course he’d employed less than honest tactics to ensure his victory against Malarkey. But he couldn’t do that against Evans. He’d wronged the guy enough already.

Because maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the line Sobel could admit that he had begun to think of the dim blonde as more than just a pawn in the game. They might have, possibly, been friends. Or something akin to friends- but then friends would maybe be a little nicer and pay a bit more attention to you than Sobel ever had to Evans.

So yeah Sobel couldn’t help but feel…well guilty.

There was no reason to dwell upon it now though. He had a goal, which was to make it as far in this stupid competition as he could. He needed people to remember him. If he wanted to make things right with Evans it would have to be done after the show was done airing. As it was, Evans was just another player in his way.

That was all.

 

  


 

  


“Look Nix come on! Just sign the damn papers! Renee did it!”

Lewis could feel his eyebrow twitch. He'd made it abundantly clear to the producer a day ago that there was NO WAY he was consenting to being constantly filmed. “Yeah well la-dee-da for Renee! I'll let you use stuff from my mike from now on but any footage not related to my hosting duties from the beginning of filming you have to run by me in full context first and if I don't give my consent you can forget about airing it.”

Harry pouted, “But the network loves you and wants to see more of you!”

For a moment the ego stroking was effective and Nixon perked up, “Seriously? Awesome- I mean hey! No!”

“Ah well it was worth a shot....”

“What do you need a show within a show for anyway?” Dick asked from his seat in the couch of Harry's trailer. He had been witnessing the men hash out the details of this new spin for nearly an hour.

“Well,” Harry began, “there's no delicate way to put this but we've had a few 'amateur' moments.”

Dick raised an eyebrow derisively, “Like getting a contestant's leg broken, overlooking LSD use, allowing fighting and having a minor on the show get drunk?”

Harry nodded with an air of indifference, “Yeah, you know, the occasional hiccup. So we figured that if we make it kind of more inclusive, show the audience who we are, what we do etc. then maybe they'll be liable to ignore some of the less desirable incidents. Plus it's gonna get aired for sure now that ABC picked it up.”

Dick sat up straight. “WHAT?”

Nixon looked at Harry like he'd sprouted an extra head. One equipped with its own mischievous gap toothed smile and everything. “Say what now?” He asked dumbly.

They had known there were some big networks fighting for their show, but they had figured that given the uh _less than mainstream_ orientation of a lot of their contestants that it would have been a cable network.

“Holy crap we're gonna be on prime time!” Nixon spewed, gleefully bouncing around in his seat.

Harry, for his part, was just glad to shock them. “Oh yeah. Apparently they're trying to beat out FOX to be the most gay friendly network as far as air time goes and Modern Family can't do it on its own! Plus reality shows are cheap.”

Dick and Lewis just stared at each other in shock.

Well people would definitely be watching now.

  


  


  


George spotted Jo and Buck in the living room, the 2 of them casually chatting with a couple of beers in hand. Steeling himself for any and all awkward moments that might arise he headed over to them. All awkward moments were basically his doing anyhow. It was a weird charade that the 3 of them continued to act out. Him not making a decision, Buck and Jo pretending like there wasn't a decision to be made.

The simple truth of it all was that he was afraid of rejection, and he liked being wanted and appreciated. Was that so wrong? Maybe in actuality Jo was the one he really wanted to be with, but George wasn't exactly relationship material. He'd always been the party hook-up, the cute fun one that you didn't have to get serious with. He could deal with being that person with Buck, but that's not who he wanted to be to Jo. Since he had a feeling that's all he could be, why torture himself by trying for something he couldn't keep and not enjoying something easy?

Both Jo and Buck looked up and grinned at his arrival, but their smiles were tense. Geez it wasn't like he was the harbinger of fucking death was he?

“Sooo,” he drawled, “how much does Red team suck without me now that we're one challenge into this retarded switch?”

“It's...it's hard,” Jo said, acting as if he were tearing up, “but somehow I think we'll survive.”

Luz flicked him off and plopped down onto Buck's lap. “Whatever. You should all be taking notes. I managed to survive TWO eliminations on a new team. That's fucking bad ass and you know it.”

Buck smiled at him, “Or maybe everyone else just noticed how adorable you were and couldn't bear to part with your cute mug.”

George blushed at getting the compliment in front of Toye. It obviously didn't sit well with Toye either as Jo decided to get up and leave, no longer wishing to subject himself to their flirting. “Well you two lovebirds have fun.” he told them monotonously, “I'm gonna go find Bill.”

Watching him go with a grimace, Luz reminded himself that petty things like jealously weren't going to get Jo's attention. The only thing that would was the one thing Luz wasn't willing to do. Go out on a limb and just admit his feelings.

As it was, all of this Bill and Jo shit was seriously pushing him to the edge. So with mixed feelings of fear and jealously he watched Jo search out the other contestant.

  


 

 

 

 

_**Casa De Losers** _

 

“NOOOOO!”

 

“Skip calm the fuck down,” Penkala snapped as his friend rolled around in front of their TV dramatically.

Grant shrugged as he watched Skip's meltdown, “I don't really blame him. We're getting kind of screwed here.”

“Yeah!” Perconte added, “Either we get Captain Buzzkill or....you know?..... _Evans_.”

“No nickname?” Don asked.

“He doesn't need a nickname.” Hoobler decided, “Just hearing his name should incite fear in all of us.”

“.............There's an extra bed in your room.” Blithe reminded him.

“I'm switching!”

“Yeah put whichever of them loses in a room with Cobb. We'll make all the people we don't like live together.” Skip suggested.

“Fuck you guys.” Cobb spat as he walked pass them to the kitchen.

“It's an idea with a lot of merit.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You wanted to talk to me Principal Winters?” Liebgott asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He probably had it in him not to be such a shithead, especially considering all that Winters was doing for him, but he still hated being condescended to and he was pretty sure that's what this meeting was going to consist of. Inadvertent and well meaning though it might seem. 

He walked into the room, which had three desks haphazardly strewn about and which he assumed was the makeshift office of a few different crew members.

Dick gave him the signature friendly smile and gestured at the couch across the room. Joe sighed and plopped down onto it, ready to get their heart to heart over with. He gave the office around him a once over. “God this place is the pits.”

And hot. Super fucking hot. Was there no A/C in here? Or maybe he was imagining the heat. Though they were in a fucking jungle.

“Well,” Winters said as he pulled a chair from one of the desks and positioned it in front of Joe, “We spent all the money on accommodations for you guys.”

Joe shrugged, he figured that seems fair. If he lost he would leave empty handed, Winters was at least getting a paycheck. “Sorry you're slumming it.” He told the other man. “Now what'd you want to talk about?”

Recognizing that Liebgott wanted to get right to it Dick sat down and let a sigh escape him. “There's been a change in the development of the show.”

The blue....er _red_ contestant just shrugged. “So?”

It occurred to Dick that perhaps this conversation would have gone better with Webster. But despite how invested Webster was in Liebgott's situation, Dick knew it wasn't right to keep the troubled man out of the loop on anything that could seriously affect him. And Harry's news regarding the crew becoming part of the cast? That affected him.

“Well,” Dick started off, “Our show's been officially picked up by ABC and after reviewing all of the footage that we've already shot they've decided that the inner workings of the crew are particularly interesting and they're going to be filming us a lot...”

Liebgott raised an eyebrow at him. “Look I get it okay? I'm not fragile or retarded or whatever the fuck you seem to think I am, so stop treating me like a pit bull you fucking rescued from Michael Vick.” Dick blinked at him in astonishment, not sure exactly where he'd misstepped. He waited for Liebgott to continue. When the contestant realized he still had the floor he kept on talking.

“You're going to be under a lot of scrutiny.” Joe summed up. “Cool. Got it. Can't be having pow wows with the fuck up and counseling him through all his problems. Good. I mean I appreciate what you're trying to do for me and all but the truth is I already have everything I need. I've got Web and Bill to keep me in check. I've got this stupid show to keep me occupied. And I got a phone that connects me to the best friend a guy could ask for. All I need you to do is keep my secret and maybe cover my ass when the time comes.”

When Joe was done talking Dick just nodded in response. “I uh...” He cleared his throat. “I can do that.”

“Great.” Joe said with a grimace. “So are we done here?”

“Yeah,” Winters told him, “I guess so.”

Slapping his hands on his knees, Liebgott pushed himself up from the couch and fled the trailer, leaving an appropriately chastised Dick Winters in deep thought.

As Joe flung the metal door to the trailer open, he narrowly avoided smacking it into Nixon's face. Which was kind of a shame in Joe's opinion. They had all entertained fantasies about hurting the host at one point or another.

Not really caring why the host was loitering outside the office (weirdo was probably just creeping on Winters) Liebgott shot the man a sneer and walked back the way he'd come. His hand was aching and if he couldn't get high the way he wanted there was a bottle of vicodin and a similarly attractive bottle of vodka awaiting him at the mansion.

Lewis watched the ever surly man stalk off and found himself frowning. These trailer walls weren't all that thick. As such he had heard a wee bit of Liebgott's conversation with Dick. Color him curious. Entering the work trailer that he shared with Dick and Harry, he found his best friend slumped down in his chair and staring at a wall intensely. “So,” he asked, sitting down on their couch, “What was that all about?”

Dick looked up, clearly startled out of his thoughts. “Oh hey Lew,” He greeted, sitting up straight, “nothing important. Liebgott just wanted to talk.”

“Huh,” Nixon raised an eyebrow, “That's very UN Liebgott-ish.” He knew that there was no way Joe would seek any of them out on his own. His interview had been like pulling teeth. They still didn't know why he owed people money. Or who those people were. Harry was convinced the story was juicy and Nixon was inclined to agree.

His friend shrugged. “True but he was just having trouble adjusting to being on the Red team.”

Lewis blinked at him. What the Hell? Lie! He had heard Liebgott saying something about a secret. Why was Dick lying to him? That wasn't like him. Dick didn't lie. Lying was totally Lewis's thing! Part of him wanted to stamp his feet and demand that Dick tell him the truth. But...would he? Dick had made it pretty clear lately that he didn't exactly.....trust Lewis.

“Right..” Lewis nodded, “well uh. I just came in here to...get my...” he looked around for an excuse. “Ha! My stapler.” Snatching up the office supply he waved it valiantly in front of his face.

“What are you stapling?” Dick asked in confusion.

Lewis clicked it together twice. “I dunno....stuff.”

“Stuff?”

Lewis nodded, “Yeah stuff. Okay bye!” He was halfway out the door before he stopped, “Oh yeah how big a party did you want for your birthday? Super big right?”

“No party!”

“Fat chance!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It sounded like everyone in the house was having the usual grand old time, and Babe was ready to join the party after an extended um....hang out session with Gene. No funny business.....unfortunately. He'd gotten the whole “Babe, we're on camera....Babe you're not 18 yet.” God, being a horny teenager sucked. Especially when you had a hot ass boyfriend...or whatever Gene was to him. Babe said boyfriend, they'd discuss it later.

As he rambled in his head about his despairing sex life he came upon a sad sight sitting outside the doors to their little mansion.

Evans. All alone...and droopy like. God why?

He bit his lip and looked around. There was no way to get in the house without going past the other contestant. With a sigh, Babe saddled up to the blonde and dug deep, reminding himself that as annoying as Evans was....it wasn't right to be mean to sad idiots.

Or...people in general.

Sitting down next to his former teammate he said nothing for a moment. “So uh,” He began awkwardly, “what are you doing out here?” Evans sniffed for a moment and Babe frowned when he realized that Evans may have been crying. God he was such a jerk. How many times had he laughed and poked fun at Evans? Too many times.

“What do you care?” Evans asked with a half hearted glare. “You should go celebrate with your friends. You guys hate me and Sobel.”

“Well in our defense we mostly hate Sobel,” Babe told him. “We just kind of get annoyed by you..”

“Thanks?”

Babe cringed, this was going poorly. “Okay,” he tried again, “I know I've not been super nice to you during all this and...well I'm sorry. I'm usually really nice. I shouldn't have been mean to you, and ignored you, and called you dumbo behind your back, or made fun of your haircut...What I mean to say is that Sobel's just a manipulative jerk and I figured since you guys were friends...I dunno. That you must be a jerk too. Anyway I'm sorry. Really.”

Evans stared at him for a moment and let a small smile come to his face. Unlike his response to Sobel earlier, all he said was, “I believe you.”

Perking up, Babe beamed. “Good! It's true. So...how about you come hang out with us for a bit? Have a good time for once.”

Evans nodded and followed Babe into the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a night spent hanging out with Evans of all people, Bill was ready to get on with the day. He'd been up early that morning saying hail marys in the hopes that this would be the last time that they ever had to see Sobel.

No offense to God but he wasn't feeling optimistic about it. Trudging up the bleachers he saw that David and Joe were already there. Liebgott was sprawled out across a bench with his head in Webster’s lap as the other man ran his fingers through his hair.

The pair were being uncharacteristically lovey dovey. Bill chocked it up to the fact that Joe was practically comatose. He made his way over and took a seat on the other side of David. He gestured to their former teammate. “What's with him?”

“He's just hung over.” David told him with a roll of his eyes. “Babe made him do a shot every time he said something bitchy to Evans last night.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah it went as well as you'd imagine.” Webster agreed. “Speaking of which you bailed kind of early. What gives?”

Bill shrugged, “Thought I'd hang out with Toye. You know...”

David nodded, knowing that Bill was spending extra time with Jo lately to keep up the facade that he had feelings for the other man. Luckily the camera men were buying it hook, line and sinker and no one seemed the least bit suspicious that there was anything going on with Liebgott.

“That reminds me,” Bill started, “should he be drinking so much considering his....condition?”

“I have no idea.” Webster confessed, “It's not like I can just ask somebody.”

“What about Winters? Can't he like, Google it or some shit?”

Just as David was about to explain the news Joe had given him about the crew being filmed, the rest of the contestants began to file into the arena, the camera men with them. “We'll talk later.” He told Bill before turning to look down at Joe. Deciding not to wake him just now he let his gaze fall back to Nixon, who was clearly trying to get everyone's attention.

The host beamed up at them all, in an uncharacteristically good mood. “Hello people that I have come to enjoy tormenting on a regular basis.”

“Hi,” all the contestants, save the unconscious ones, replied glumly.

The smile that Nixon had been wearing disappeared at the sound on their greeting. Frown back in its proper place, he glared at them all. “What the Hell guys? I know there's hardly any of you left but try to be entertaining for OUR benefit. We're gonna be on ABC!”

“Whaaaaa?” Babe drawled in his youthful fashion. “Fuck you. Nuh uh.” The others made varying responses of astonishment as well.

The host shot them the finger, not caring that his every move was now to be filmed and aired (unedited if Harry had any say) as well. “Ya huh. So get all exuberant again you jerks. You should be happy! You all hate Evans and Sobel.”

“Actually we don't hate Evans all that much anymore.” Babe informed Nixon, clearly taking it upon himself to speak for everyone. Evans just nodded excitedly.

Nixon's eyes bugged out, “What is this? Some heavy handed Disney show?” He asked them, “You can't just decide you like someone all of a sudden! What about character continuity damn it? You people make me sick! Anyway get down here Sobel, recently befriended Evans- time to get to it.”

After performing his usual eye roll, Sobel began to make his way down the bleachers. He cast a weary glance over at Evans, not sure how all of this would go and still struggling with his residual guilt. Evans, to his credit, didn't spare Sobel a second glance.

The blue Captain figured it was better that Evans hated him, it would make it somewhat easier to battle him in the arena.

“As you all know,” the host began in his usual fashion, “because you were all there at the coolest challenge EVER!”

The contestants collectively shuddered as they recalled the boxes they were forced into during their challenge.

“The Blue team lost the challenge. Because...you know...Sobel doesn't pay attention to you guys.” Sobel didn't even bother to defend himself as the Blue contestants made noises of agreement.

“SO!” The host went on, backing up to where Talbert was rolling out the Wheel of Doom, “It is now time to decide their- OW! Damn it Floyd!”

Talbert had run the Wheel into Nixon' back and retreated immediately, Nixon watching him go with a glare as Liebgott snickered in the stands, having woken up just in time to see the man get smacked. Floyd was happy to make him laugh, even if it meant Nixon's wrath.

“UGH fuck it I'm just spinning the Wheel!” The host decided, giving the contraption a swift downward pull.

“We're gonna have to do a lot of bleeping.” Winters commented.

Harry gave an absent nod, “Yeah no shit.”

Dick frowned at him.

“OKAY!” Nixon shouted, excited once more. Selecting their method of elimination was always good at cheering him up. Evans frowned at the Wheel, which had landed on the flag struggle. Maybe he could get away with elbowing Sobel in the face?

“Sobel and Evans will be playing the flag struggle!” Nixon announced, “Which you may recall as being responsible for sending both Shifty and Penkala home.”

Winters crooked a finger at them, “Come and suit up.”

Up in the stands Speirs surveyed the remaining contestants with a frown. The numbers were getting low and it wasn't a stretch to assume that the challenges might begin to reflect that reality. At some point he was going to have to fight very hard to keep both himself and Lipton safe. He knew how he felt about the other man, but something in the back of his mind nagged at him. He was...worried. That it might not last. Once the show was over. He was the first man Lipton had ever been with...He just needed more time. To make sure that they could work. Only he had the feeling that was going to get hard sooner rather than later.

Down in the arena, Sobel and Evans were suited up- Evans covered in bright orange flags and Sobel in yellow. When Nixon pulled the air horn out all the contestants begrudgingly put their fingers in their ears.

Though he couldn't hear the horn, David knew that the game had started when Evans launched himself at Sobel like a crazy person, knocking him to the ground and (accidentally?) head butting him in the process.

“Oh shit!” Luz guffawed at the unexpected lunge.

Evans continued to struggle, caught up between smacking Sobel and ripping his flags off of his vest.

Sobel held his hands up defensively, pretty shocked himself at the ferocity with which Evans had come at him. He spent an unacceptable amount of time just trying to stop Evans from smacking him in the face- why did no one care when people hit him!? Eventually Sobel managed to grab Evans hands and shove him away. In the process he began to rip flags off Evans vest, noticing that Evans, in his anger, had dropped many of Sobel's flags on the ground.

Not waiting around for more abuse Sobel ran to the outer rim of the arena and put the flags he'd collected into his designated box. Running back to where Evan was trying to pick up the flags he'd dropped, Sobel pushed the smaller man away and picked many of them up first. He held his flags in his left hand while pulling more off Evan's vest with his right.

“Ten seconds!” Winters called out to them. The two immediately took off and Evans haphazardly began to stuff his box with flags. The air horn sounded again and Nixon gave them a grin. “Times up!” He told them. The two men stopped what they were doing and slumped to the ground- breathing heavily.

Winters surveyed the ruin of the arena. There were flags littering the area where Sobel and Evans had been tumbling- most of them bright yellow. He guessed that was good for the Blue Captain, but they'd only know for sure once he had finished counting the contents of the boxes.

Up in the stands Bill and Babe were speculating the odds.

“Who took it?” Bill asked Babe. The younger man just grumbled angrily.

Bill sighed, “Yeah. I think so.”

Their worst fears were confirmed when Nixon called out, “WE HAVE A WINNER! SOBEL!”

“Goddamn it!” Babe cursed.

Nixon waved their anger away. “Evans as you know this means you must now leave the island for good. Say your goodbyes since people apparently like you now.”

Sobel saw the surprising amount of people coming down to say goodbye and knew he didn't have much time. Grabbing Evans by the shoulders he maneuvered the smaller man to face him, effectively cutting their conversation off from the others approaching.

“Look Evans,” he said in a rush. “I know I was a dick. I'm sorry I really am. I'm not a great guy I get it. Maybe I never can be your friend but I at least should have tried. Considering how much trust you put in me. Maybe you'll never forgive me...but I really AM sorry.”

He didn't wait for Evans to tell him off, just turned on his heel and walked past the others to go sit on the bleachers and wait for further instructions. Evans watched him go in confusion as he was enveloped in a hug from Babe.

Watching the scene from a distance, Nixon became distracted by a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he saw Harry smiling deviously.

“I took your tip.” The producer said. “Turns out Dick has been meeting with Webster and Liebgott on a few occasions but our mikes never seem to pick up any feed and the camera guys say that they've been shutting them out. Since we don't know what it is we're gonna try and use this challenge to draw it out of Webster.”

Nixon nodded, it made sense. Webster might be a smart guy but he was awfully talkative when compared to Liebgott. “Just make sure it doesn't get back to Dick that I tipped you off.” He warned his friend. Harry made a zipping motion over his mouth to indicate that he got the picture. “Now you should get over there and fill them in.”

Lewis rolled his eyes but obliged the request, stomping over to break up the goodbyes, send Evans on his way and get their next challenge started.

 

 

 

 

 

**THE CHALLENGE**

 

 

The contestants weren't loaded up into the vans as they usually were when it was time to be bused (vanned?) off to their challenge and many were more than a little confused when, instead, they were simply led back to the front of the mansion.

Parked in front of the mansion were 5 Jeep Wranglers (product placement anyone?) all facing towards the contestants in a lofty arc. They turned to Nixon as a collective and waited for the blathering explanation to begin. He peered at them from behind his aviators, “For today's challenge your teams will be split in pairs, assigned a vehicle and you will take part in....”

They all waited patiently as he trailed off dramatically for the cameras.

“A TREASUE HUNT!” He crowed finally.

“Oh cool!” Babe exclaimed, “I've never done one of those.”

Nixon nodded, “Even cooler because the treasure you're looking for will be specific to each pair.”

At this point Dick weighed in with the more complex technical aspects. “In each jeep is a duffel bag containing maps of the island, a GPS along with coordinates of your treasure and any items you may need to help you reach it.”

“Yeah like ropes, shovels and crap like that.” Lewis added. “Also some tranqs and flares guns. Don't use them on each other! I don't want to get bitched at if you kill yourselves.”

“Goddamnit.” Luz griped, just imagining what was in store.

After the usual pause of disapproval, Dick continued. “When you find your treasure box you can choose whether you want to open it or not. It's up to you. The importance of what's in your box won't be revealed until you get back to the beach, where all of you are to head once you've found your box.”

“Now to split you into pairs that will make many of you unhappy.” Nixon said with a grin. “For the Blue team- Bill is with Luz and Webster is with Sobel.”

“Shocking.” Webster deadpanned while sharing a quick glance of apprehension with Bill.

“Yeah yeah.” Nixon waved him off. “And for the Red team we have Liebgott with Speirs, Toye with Buck, and Babe with Lipton. The camera men will show you to your vehicles. Now fly my pretties, FLY!”

They stared at him while Dick cleared his throat. “What he means to say is....time is of the essence. Whoever makes it to the beach first wins it for their team.”

With that in mind they all scrambled to their Jeeps, eager to take off.

As Luz made for the driver's seat Bill let out a chuckle. “I don't fucking think so.”

The smaller man glared at him heatedly. “Why the hell not?”

“Cause you're psycho enough to crash us both in a ditch just to off me.” Bill said as he cut in front of his teammate and got behind the wheel himself. “Now get in the passenger seat and fire up the GPS.”

Luz said nothing but the force with which he slammed the Jeep's door was pretty telling.

 

 

 

 

 

While Lipton started the engine Babe rummaged around in their duffel bag. “What is this? The flare gun or the tranquilizer gun?” He asked, pulling the item out.

Lipton looked over with a frown, “I'm not sure but you probably shouldn't point it at your face...”

“Touche.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buck peeled out of their semi circle with a grin at Toye. “Smart idea. Give us all vehicles and let us loose in the jungle that has the world's most laughable excuse for roads?”

His friend smiled back, “Haha yeah, what's the worst that could happen?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“How exactly do these things know the layout of the island if it's uncharted?” Webster wondered as he tinkered with the GPS which was currently directing them down the main dirt road. The same road that the vans often took when they all went to the beach.

“How does anything get accomplished around here?” Sobel questioned back at him from the driver's seat. “Poorly. We'll be lucky if we survive.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Wait...so why is the treasure important again?” Liebgott asked.

Speirs merely shrugged, “They didn't specify. Guess they'll tell us when we finish.”

“Those fuckers.”

“Yep.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“TURN!” Luz shouted without preemption, startling Bill into slamming his foot on the brake pedal and sending the other man flying forward into the dash board. Luz hit the dash with a loud thud before reeling back and clutching his nose. Bill figured that the weird gargling noise he was making meant he was in a decent amount of pain.

“What the fuck? I said turn not fucking kill me!” Luz shouted nasally.

“Which way dipshit?” Bill asked him and Luz groaned, realizing his mistake.

“Right, turn right.” He pulled his hands from his nose and observed them with a grimace. “Goddamnit I'm bleeding.”

Bill started the Jeep back down the dirt path on their right. “Well maybe you should wear a seat belt then. These things aren't exactly known for their safety features.”

“Funny that you were worried I would get _you_ hurt.” Luz hissed at him, “We've only been driving 4 minutes and you already busted my nose.”

“Give me a break.” Bill said with a roll of his eyes. “You barely pinged it. You need to be made of tougher stuff if you wanna hang with a guy like Jo. Can't be breaking down and bitching over paper cuts every ten seconds to a guy whose had more injuries in one week than most hockey teams.”

Luz clenched his fists to keep from strangling his teammate. “Yeah I guess I should be more like YOU, right?”

“Look let's just cut the bullshit.” Bill told the other man. “Jo's not into me like that. But he's into you. And you're clearly nuts about him despite whatever the fuck you have going on with Buck. And yeah I,” Bill paused for a moment remembering his charade to keep attention off Liebgott, “I like him but...I also consider him a real friend. Which is why I'm telling you what he won't-for whatever reason.”

The information settled into Luz's conscious slowly. He supposed it was something that he already knew deep down but hadn't thought he'd ever have confirmed.

“But..why...” He floundered to articulate his question. Finally he spit it out. “Well then why the Hell doesn't he say anything? Turn left up here.”

“He's just being a fucking martyr.” Bill answered as he took the turn. Only a little further to go. “He doesn't want to cause trouble with you and Buck. I just don't know what the fuck you're doing. It's obvious to everyone that you're hung up on him.”

“It's not that simple.” Luz snapped. He knew he was being selfish but it was fucking hard to commit to anything, living in this awkward limbo seemed like the easiest solution sometimes.

“Well it fucking should be.” Bill countered as they reached the clearing that the GPS said was their destination. He felt suspicious as he parked the Jeep and the two of them got out. “That was way too easy...”

Luz silently agreed and as they walked towards the jungle they noticed a large piece of paper tacked to a tree with their names. “The fuck?” He wondered as he pulled it down, opened it up and read the contents out loud.

“You only wish it was that easy. Take these new coordinates and plant them on your map. Have a good hike. Look for clues...”

“Awesome.”

“Yea...”

“Well let's get to it.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Look for clues? What fucking clues!?” Babe griped as he and Lipton trampled through the jungle. In a turn of very bad luck they had only spent like two minutes driving before being directed to a clearing and told to essentially have at it. “Nixon's a jagweed.”

Lipton just smiled politely in response as he looked over their map. He had a very rudimentary understanding of maps, which was apparently more than Babe had so...here they were. “What's a jagweed?” He asked.

“I dunno,” The teen responded, “but whatever it is...Nixon's totally one...Hey can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Lipton said with a shrug, hoping that the question wasn't about him and Speirs. He wouldn't put it pass Babe to ask about it, being that he was a teenager and all. However the truth was that he still wasn't comfortable talking about it at length with other people.

“Why do you think your team did so much better than ours?” Babe asked. “I mean, why did the Red Team do better than the Blue team?”

That wasn't quite what he had expected to be asked so he gave it a moment to settle before replying as best as he could. “You know I think we just had...and I actually feel kind of bad saying this, we just had easier people for Speirs to boss around. We made a good team because people were willing to be told what to do. Whereas on the Blue team everyone's personalities were really dominant and no one wanted to work together. At least that's what I think it was...”

“Yeah but that has less to do with lack of strong personalities and more to do with Speirs being a good leader right?” The teen asked, “Because he's able to get even people tough like Toye or stubborn like Luz to listen to him? He seems to be able to control the whole team. I mean, hell, even I feel like he's in charge.”

Lipton frowned, the way they were talking about it kind of made Ron seem...well...sort of manipulative. Lipton knew that wasn't the case though. Ron was just good at taking charge, because he could see what made them all valuable..or in Luz and Perconte's cases...what had made them weak. Hmm.

Veering back into territory he had initially wanted to stay away from he asked a question that he knew the unusually honest teenager would be inclined to answer. “Babe do you think Ron and I...make sense? Together?”

“Ohhh,” Babe perked up, “this is fair game now? Sweet, because I have a lot of questions.”

“Mine first.”

“Oh right right.” His teammate pursed his lips, “Sure you do I guess. I mean I think Speirs with anyone just seems kind of weird you know?”

“Not really.” He replied before asking, “Why does it seem weird?”

“Well you know,” The teen began, “He just doesn't seem to be interested in all that much. He doesn't really seem to have a good time with anyone. He doesn't laugh much. He's...kinda mean sometimes. Just seems weird to see him like someone so much the way he does you. I means it's cool! Real Mr. Darcy shit but....you know..still weird.”

“Huh...”

Lipton had never thought about that beyond his initial feelings of confusion about what they were headed into. But maybe it warranted asking...why _was_ Ron interested in him of all people? Damn it. It was hard enough adjusting to being in a relationship with a man but now with just a few innocuous comments, Babe had Lipton wondering about whether Ron really liked him or....

Or was this all just some way of controlling him too?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Ugh. This is such bullshit.”

Ron looked over at Liebgott as the other man angrily kicked up dust on the dirt road that they were walking on. “I have to agree with you on that one.” He assented.

They had hardly driven even an eighth of the distance their GPS was directing them to drive when the Jeep had began to stall. The vehicle hadn't made it ten more feet before crapping out on them. As a result they had to walk at least ten miles before even getting to their initial search point. It wasn't likely they were going to win the challenge.

Not to mention that behind them Smokey was grumbling at always having the worst luck on the challenge assignments.

Liebgott let out a growl. “Well it's not like it's some big fucking surprise. Everyone that works on this goddamn show is a moron.” Here Smokey silently flicked him off from behind the camera. “So of course they couldn't get a working car! Assholes!”

“Is there anything you can't become enraged over?” Ron asked the skinny man.

“Is there nothing you won't remain stoically cold and distant about?” Liebgott countered with a sneer.

Ron wanted to say 'Lipton' but that wasn't really any of Liebgott's business. Speaking of which, his worries from earlier were still gnawing at him. The fact was that the Blue team was dwindling fast. If the whole team was depleted before the Red Team then what would happen? They would likely start eliminating Red players in the arena right away. How would challenges be conducted to put them there?

The reality that this competition wasn't indefinite was beginning to set in. He wasn't sure how he was going to take himself and Lipton to the end without manipulating the circumstances. The numbers had to go down, but he wanted it to be on his terms. In order to keep the challenge, vote, arena routine in play his team would have to start dropping people. He could still count on Buck's selfishness to put Jo in the arena but at this stage in the game it was anyone's guess who he would be going up against.

Ron was going to have to think of another way to even the odds.

“Well we have a ways to go.” he spoke up, breaking the tense silence. “Anything you want to talk about? We have to pass the time somehow.”

Liebgott just chuckled. “Yeah that's me. Always wanting to talk about my feelings and shit. No thanks.”

“Suit yourself.”

Almost two miles later and no words had been spoken still. Ron imagined that they were pretty boring to watch, which wasn't Liebgott's usual mode of behavior. Most of the insanity in the house, be it the fighting, the screaming, or the sex...they all seemed to have something to do with Liebgott. His thoughts directed him to observe his teammate, and he frowned when he saw that Joe was swaying with each step. Was the other man becoming dehydrated? True they hadn't been walking that long, but the sun was beating down on them mercilessly and Liebgott was sweating in excess- his body trying desperately to cool him. Closing the four foot distance between them he put a hand on Joe's bony shoulder and forced him to stop moving. “Hey you need to sit down and drink some water.”

“Fuck off.” Liebgott slurred.

Yep, definitely not good. Despite the heated words, Joe didn't protest as Speirs led him to sit under the shade provided by the trees that were lining the road in abundance. He handed the pale looking man a bottle of water. “Drink the whole bottle.” He told Joe sternly.

Again Liebgott listlessly obeyed and took weak gulps of water. “Fuck I am out of shape.” He muttered as he leaned back against the tree trunk.

Speirs had seen Liebgott in action during the game of Capture the Flag and the during the rock climbing challenge and as a result he seriously doubted that lack of fitness was the root of the problem. It was something more serious, he was sure of it.

“Well let's just take a break then...It's not exactly like we had this one in the bag anyhow.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Dude!” Jo exclaimed in excitement, smacking Buck's shoulder to get his attention.

Buck took his eyes off the road for a second to glance at his friend. “What is it? Directions change or something? Is there a traffic jam up ahead?” He joked.

“Psst. No. But listen to this..” Here Jo turned the volume up on the radio. Buck had assumed they didn't even work, since it wasn't like this island had any radio stations.

“ _What? No I can't fix a car! Why are you even asking me? Go bother Harry....”_

“ _But I don't know where he is...and you aren't really doing anything.”_

“ _Floyd get the fuck out of here! I could give a rats ass if someone's Jeep broke down, their struggle will be more interesting to watch now!”_

“ _But Gordon said they aren't doing anything at all...”_

“ _Well then tell him to go film other contestants then! We aren't paying him to stand around!”_

Buck couldn't stop laughing, “Haha. What the hell, man? Are we eavesdropping on Nixon's office? That's awesome!”

“I know!” Jo agreed. “I don't know how though. Too bad they aren't saying anything interesting.”

“Not yet at least.” Buck said. “Although that sucks about someone's Jeep.”

“Unless they're on the Blue team. They only have 2 teams competing. If they get broken down they've got a real slim chance of winning. Which bodes better for me. God I'm sick of the Arena!” Jo fumed. Buck kept silent on that particular subject, knowing that it would hardly do to speak up and risk implicating himself. Instead he pointed out their destination, which was up on their right. “Hey, we're here.”

It was just a spot on the side of the road, seemingly no different then any other spot. Jo made sure to grab the bag and their compass as Buck parked the Jeep and cut the engine off. They climbed out and began to survey the area. Jo noticed a large piece of paper covered with their names and pointed it out. “Over there.”

Buck jogged over and ripped it down. Scanning over its contents quickly he told Jo, “It's another set of coordinates. Into the jungle, we have to look for clues. I'll plot them on the map. You down to handle the compass?”

Toye nodded, “Yeah man no problem. God though I hope this isn't like our last trip into the jungle.”

“What you mean you _don't_ want to get bit by another snake?” His friend joked.

“Fuck that!”

“Yeah I don't blame you.” Buck said as he finished plotting the coordinates. “Let's get going then. Our super awesome treasure isn't going to find itself.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As they walked along the shore, their Jeep not far behind them where they'd been forced to park it, Sobel asked, “Explain again Webster how you're afraid of drowning when you've been dunked into, and swam about in, water more than once during this competition?”

“Okay I'm really regretting that ever got out.” Webster said with a huff. “YES I am an excellent swimmer. And sailor. Not to mention I scuba dive and work with aquatic animals. However all that means is that I know how dangerous the ocean is! Okay?! It's very easy to make a mistake....and die a horrible death...”

“Right..”

“Look, shut up. You're afraid of BUGS.”

“Fair point.” Sobel conceded as they began to come upon a row of trees that intruded onto the shoreline where the jungle met the sand. “Well this is unusual.”

They continued on their path until they reached the trees that ran adjacent to a large cliff. Only it wasn't one they had seen before. Most of their challenges were done on the southern side of the island, where the mansion was located. This was on nearly the opposite side of the island, which was why they had spent most of their time driving.

“Well the cliff is cutting off the shore.” Webster noted, “So we can't walk this way anymore.”

Sobel surveyed the area before smacking Webster's arm to get his attention. “Over there.” The other man followed his lead as he took off toward the water. Waiting for them where the cliff met the edge of the water was a small fishing boat with two oars.

“Guess we're not walking.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“This is Hell!”

Bill tried to pretend he couldn't hear the other man from the bottom of the cliff his partner was now climbing. After walking in the jungle for what Bill deemed an excessive amount of time they had finally stumbled upon this mossy cliff that contained their clue. What did the clue tell them? To climb the cliff and find another clue! Not to mention that it's not even a fucking clue if it just tells you what you're supposed to do! Then it's just an instruction. Stupid Nixon.

Anyway their bag had contained the same equipment they'd used the last time they went rock climbing so Bill had forced the harness onto Luz before the other man could complain. Though he was making up for that lost time now as he'd been bitching ever since he started climbing.

“There's a bunch of worms up here!”

Jesus Christ...

“Oh hey I found it!”

Okay that was more like it. Bill looked up at where Luz was climbing, all the while maintaining a tight hold on the rope that had already been hooked to an anchor at the top of the cliff when they'd arrived. “Well grab it and read it!”

“Fuck that it's too far away!” Luz protested. Bill angrily began to shake at the rope he was holding, causing Luz to be jerked around. He figured that would get his point across pretty well. “Ah!” Luz began to shout, “Fine! Just cut it out.” He began to inch his way to the right, careful not to grab onto any loose rocks like they'd all done the last time they'd rock climbed. The moist moss that covered the cliff made it hard to feel secure.

Eventually he made his way to the bright, yellow note that was folded up. He reached out and grabbed it with his fingers. Just as he was doing so a small, red snake slithered through the moss and he officially lost his shit.

“WHAT the fuck!?” He screamed, letting go of the cliff and immediately started to sway, which only took him closer to the snake, which was now raising its little red face. “AH FUCK YOU SNAKE!”

Bill sighed, “Keep climbing or you'll never get away from it!”

Shoving the note in between his teeth, Luz grabbed at a nearby vine and began to climb as quickly as his skill would allow. Once he was at a safe distance he flicked the snake off before pulling the note out to read.

“Okay good news is that our treasure is up at the top of this cliff. But we've gotta dig for it!” Luz called down to Bill.

“Well keep going and I'll lift you the shovel.”

It seemed like a solid plan so Luz continued his struggle until he was at the top of the cliff. Pulling himself over he was shocked to see that a red X was marking the spot right in front of him. Ha! That wasn't so hard at all! Now all he needed was the shovel....

Oh HELL no.

Looking up he immediately saw a tiny army of his red snake nemesi coming towards him. Just barely managing to not jump back over the cliff he turned around and yelled down at Bill! “THERE ARE TONS OF FUCKING SNAKES UP HERE! GET THE GODDAMN SHOVEL!”

Bill's eyes widened and he quickly untied the rope from his belayer belt and ran to the bag, pulling out the folded up shovel. He then grabbed the now loose end of the rope and tied it tightly to the tool. “You have to pull it up!” He shouted up to Luz, who quickly began to pull on the rope with the frantic speed of a man surrounded by random jungle snakes.

Bill had a feeling that if Luz had to kill one of those things they were gonna get fucking reamed by PETA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“THIS IS AWESOME!” Babe exclaimed as he and Lipton came upon what they could only assume was their final destination. Their traipsing throughout the jungle had finally led them to a small enclave where a waterfall fell from higher ground and created a small pond. It was pretty much the coolest thing ever.

For the most part, Lipton was just glad they had even found something. After all he'd been fairly distracted and he wasn't insanely confidant in his map reading skills. They ventured over to the edge of the pond and began to look around.

“Yellow paper!” Babe pointed out and Lipton immediately saw the tell-tale sign of a clue flickering through the stream of the waterfall.

Putting the bag he'd been carrying down on the ground, he briefly considered whether to take off his shoes before deciding against it and hopping into the water. He heard Babe jump in behind him just a moment after.

He turned to look at the teen, who had a giant grin on his face. “I could've gotten it.” He assured his teammate.

“Uh as if I'd miss the chance to swim through a fucking waterfall Lipton.” Babe responded. “C'mon now.”

They both swam over to the waterfall, Lipton ducking under the water rather than letting the waterfall splash directly on him as Babe did. What they found on the other side was something of a surprise.

“Whoa check out this cave.” Babe said in marvel, eyes taking in the wide expanse of rock that lay before them, waiting to be explored. A short swim found them at the shallow part of the pond and they were able to slop their way out of the water and onto the entrance of the cave.

The note was taped to the wall of the cave that was closer to the actual waterfall. Fortunately for them, there was a small trail of rocks leading to it. Babe made his way over, balancing carefully on the stones and quickly snatching the paper. Then he hopped back in the water and swam his way to where Lipton was waiting, the paper held precariously above his head.

Lipton reached out and grabbed it, freeing Babe up to walk back onto the rock. He read the contents quickly. “Okay well it looks like what we're looking for the treasure in this cave. Give me a minute and I'll go and grab the bag. We'll need flash lights and who knows what else.”

Babe just nodded absentmindedly, still too enthralled with the idea of going treasure hunting in a cave, Indiana Jones style. Lipton was back before he even really registered that he'd gone.

“No flashlights,” Lipton told him grimly. Babe just gaped at him, “What the fuck? How are we supposed to see in there then?” he asked. Here Lipton pulled out a head band with what appeared to be a some kind of web cam. He gave Lipton a blank look, “And that is....?”

“Head lamp, equipped with a camera.” Lipton responded, handing one of them to Babe. “I guess that they don't feel like going in there with us.”

“That's safe,” Babe joked, immediately fiddling with the device. Lipton put his on his head and shouldered the bag.

“Let's move.” He told Babe before taking off into the darkness. The other contestant hurried after him.

“I'm gonna stick this thing in my pants.” Babe decided, “Maybe give them a little dick pic they can't use! It'll be the most action I get here probably. Gene's certainly not down for it.”

Lipton smiled over at him, briefly remembering what it was like to be a teenager who felt the world was conspiring to keep him a virgin. Or in Babe's case...celibate. “You should cut Gene some slack. He's been crazy about you since Day 1 of this competition and he's probably going slow because he's so serious about you...and possibly because the age of consent varies state to state.”

Babe furrowed his brow, “Day 1? What are you talking about?”

“From the very first day we were in this competition you were all he thought about. From taking care of you when you were sick, to keeping his distance when you were with the others. I caught him sitting on the couch one night just staring at you.”

“For real?”

Lipton nodded, taking pleasure in the way the teens face lit up. Babe was obviously not as pensive as Gene, and there were still maturity gaps to bridge between the two- but Lipton thought they were otherwise a well-balanced pair. It was obvious in the way they spoke about each other.

They continued to make their way through the cave slowly when Babe spoke up again. “It makes you wonder you know- what's going to happen when we finish the show. With me and Gene, you and Speirs.”

“I don't have a clue.” Lipton admitted.

“What do you _want_ to happen?” His teammate asked.

Again all he could do was shrug. “I don't know.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oddly enough, there was a clue in the boat that had simply instructed them to start rowing and look around.

“Wow he really has a way with words doesn't he?” Webster commented dryly after having read the clue. Presently he and Sobel were rowing their tiny boat further and further from the shore.

“Everyone can't have your literary flair Webster.” Sobel snarked back.

“What you aren't a writer?” David asked him. “I mean you own a bookstore for God's sake.”

Sobel sighed, “For the last time, I'm a businessman. I'm expanding into the online market and I want to invest this opportunity in marketing and, if I win, maybe take a stab at publishing.”

“Is that what you told them in your interview about the money?”

“No because they never interviewed me. I think they were more interested in interviewing people like Liebgott.” Sobel said with a frown.

“Well he is better looking than you.” Webster tried for a joke. Well he meant it but also it was funny.

“Or because he's a fucked up druggie with money problems.” Sobel countered. While David knew that statement was true, Sobel didn't and the presumptuous nature of his constant speculations pissed the other man off.

“God!” He exclaimed, nearly throwing down the oar in frustration. “What is your vendetta against Liebgott? I mean he obviously doesn't like you either but he doesn't try to ruin your reputation by saying all this random nonsense.”

Sobel didn't bother answering, merely pointing out in the distance where a buoy was bobbing in the water, a yellow strip of paper attached. “I think we're here. Now, you said you've been scuba diving before?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They'd been sitting there for awhile so Speirs thought it best that they take action. “Are you up to keep walking?” He asked his teammate.

“What's the point?” Liebgott grumbled, not bothering to look at him. “Pretty sure we aren't gonna win.”

Speirs nodded, “I know. I meant walk back to the house. We might as well go back now. The winners will probably be showing up soon.”

Joe shrugged. “Why not?” As he was struggling to get up he asked Speirs for a cigarette. Not one to tell people how to live their life he gave the man one and even offered him a light as they began to walk. “God you'd think this would be a great vacation but this place is just one hot sweaty death trap.” Liebgott observed, his gratitude over the cigarette compelling him to speak.

The Red captain was inclined to agree. “True, but look at it this way. It'll be over soon and we'll all be back to our normal lives. Might as well try to enjoy it while it lasts.”

Joe frowned, he didn't like to think about his “normal life”. Mostly because he didn't have one. This show had gotten him out of town but other than that he didn't have a game plan of where to go when it ended or he got kicked off. He'd either have to face the music of Dike's pissed off family of drug dealers and gangsters with or without the money or stay out of California altogether.

Which meant no more Tipper and...

“I'd imagine you're pretty glad that Webster lives in San Francisco too, huh?” Speirs asked, unwittingly giving voice to Joe's concerns.

As he had done earlier, all Liebgott could think about was how his relationship with David had gone while he was using. There were plenty of good things but- when he left the show would he be able to stay away from the drugs? And he wasn't exactly willing to draw David into his dangerous and unresolved issues with crime families either.

Fuck.

What was he going to do?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luz threw the treasure box down with complete disregard for the contents. He was worried about himself. “They're climbing my legs!”

“Just jump down!”

“Off a cliff!?”

Bill took a moment from the Luz generated panic to sigh. “The shovel will mount you. I tied it really tight. I promise.”

“If I die I'll fucking haunt you Gonorrhea!”

Those were the last words he had time to shout before hopping backwards. Bill worried his lip as Luz went into free fall until the cling clang of the shovel sounded as the metal hit the mount on the cliff and jerked him to a stop a few feet from the ground. The smaller man quickly released his harness and landed on his feet.

Luz looked around wildly for the box and spotted it near the treeline. He ran and grabbed it. Bill jogged up next to him and they examined it for a moment.

“What is it?” Bill wondered. It was just a plain brown, wooden box. It was incredibly small, not able to hold much more than a thimble. His curiosity was piqued but there was no time to indulge it as Luz was quick to point out.

“Who gives a crap.” George said firmly before giving Bill a small shove, “Let's just get back to the Jeep. I don't want to go into the arena.”

Bill agreed and the two of them tore through the jungle without another word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Just stay balanced!” Buck shouted up to his friend as the other man climbed up the tree bearing a red X, indicating the location of their treasure.

“Why do I always get stuck with this dangerous shit!?” Toye demanded, shouting back down.

Buck shrugged, “In my defense I won rock, paper, scissors fair and square!”

Jo just grumbled unhappily as he reached the high branch where his treasure box was located. Though they hadn't been kind enough to anchor a rope to the tree they had provided spiked shoes, gloves and a harness with a rope to go around the tall tree as he climbed. Oh...and a helmet. Which Jo felt was more for the appearance of safety than anything else.

When he was adjacent to the branch he shimmied his way into a straddling position on top of it. He wasn't very surprised to see that the treasure, a small box, was placed as far out on the limb as it could reasonably be. With a sigh be began to scoot closer towards it.

“You're doing good!” Buck yelled uselessly from the ground. “Almost there!”

That was true enough, only right as he got into arm's reach of the box the biggest fucking bird he had ever seen landed on the other side of it. Toye's immediate action was to recoil.

“What the fucking fuck!?”

The large bird resembled a hawk of some kind but it was easily bigger than any Toye had ever seen. It's gray face stare impassively at him before it began to flap out it's ridiculously large wings.

Jo wasn't sure what to do but he didn't want to have to fight a fucking hawk for the stupid box so he reached out and swatted the thing over the side of the tree branch, hoping that its contents weren't breakable. As the box began to fall the hawk flew into action and went down after it with a speed so alarming Toye briefly considered wetting himself. Fortunately down on the ground Buck had made quick work of grabbing the box.

Unfortunately, the hawk was rounding on him instantly. “What the fuck is with this goddamn island!?” His friend yelled as he fumbled with the treasure box.

“Who gives a shit!” Jo yelled as he tried to get back to the tree trunk. “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD RUN!”

Buck didn't need to be told twice as the large bird began to swoop in on him.

The wildlife in this place was going to fucking kill them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Okay the aquatic life in this place is amazing!” David said in an enthusiastic tone, his voice nasally from the scuba mask covering his nose.

Sobel just rolled his eyes. “I stopped caring about the fourth time you fucking told me about it. Please tell me that you managed to find the stupid treasure?” When Webster nodded Sobel let out a sigh of relief before holding his hand out expectantly. Webster dropped a small box into his palm and the Blue captain couldn't help but regard it incredulously. It was awfully small.

“This is it?” He asked as his teammate slopped his way back onto their little boat.

“I guess.” David replied with a shrug, proceeding to pull off his scuba gear. “We should really get a move on.”

Sobel tucked the box into the pocket of his cargo shorts and picked up an oar. “Agreed. We spent too much time looking for that tiny thing. The size alone is enough to make you curious about what's inside...”

“Maybe you.” Webster responded as they paddled. Now that they knew where they were going, the distance back to the beach didn't seem so far.

For his part Sobel really couldn't help but wonder what the crew could put in a box that small that might be considered valuable. Maybe it was part of a later challenge?

They were at the beach in no time and the two began to jog as quickly as they could across the sand. There jeep was parked a ways off on a dirt road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Holy fuck it is so dark in here!” Babe whispered, turning his head every which way to scan the depths of the cave. Water trickled down over the rock and gave everything a surreal shine that was starting to seriously freak him out.

“Why are you whispering?” Lipton asked, his voice echoing off the walls of the cave. He was leading the way down into the cave. It had gotten surprisingly narrow and steep. He figured it must not go on too much longer. The odds were good that their treasure was at the very end and he took a moment to be grateful that neither he nor Babe were claustrophobic.

“Well I don't know.” The teen answered, his voice still barely audible. “What if there's like a wild animal living in here or something?”

Lipton huffed out a laugh. “I thought you were excited to do some cave exploration Indy.”

“Hardy har. Yeah I was..I mean I am. I mean this is cool the way haunted houses are cool in the sense that...” Babe continued to ramble on until they heard a loud echo behind them.

They both stilled immediately. “What the fuck was that?” Babe asked softly. Curious as well, Lipton turned to look in the direction of the noise. With both of their headlamps on they could see a shadow creeping in the distance.

“BEAR!” Babe began to scream loudly, grabbing the tranquilizer and/or flare gun out of their bag.

“Babe wait-” Carwood said in what he hoped was a calming voice. That is until the shadow got bigger and it was clearly crawling on all fours. “Ah! Nevermind! Shoot it!”

Babe began to shoot wildly as they both screamed in terror.

“AHHHHHH!”

The shadow collapsed onto the ground with an audible thud, before letting out a decidedly un-bear like groan. The two exchanged a startled glance before rushing to the fallen “bear”.

They looked down in horror at what Babe shot. “Shit Babe you shot Smokey!”

“Oh my God!” Babe began to freak out, pacing back and forth with his hands in his hair. “What the fuck is he doing here!? Where's Skinny? And, and I thought they weren't coming in because of the stupid head lamps and-”

“Babe!” Lipton cut him off. “No time to freak out okay! You just shot a person with a tranq meant for an animal.”

The teen stared at him wordlessly. Lipton sighed, “So we kind of need to get him to the infirmary?”

That spurred the younger man into action. “Oh shit! Yeah okay, okay. I'll grab his legs.” He went to get the camera man's feet before asking, “Hey what about his equipment?”

“I'm sure they'll send someone.”

The two Red contestants then proceeded to none too gently drag the unconscious man's body up the cave. The little brown box that was waiting for them just ten feet away lay there, never to be discovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dick shuffled around Nixon's office, opening drawers and shifting papers. His friend had informed him (in a not at all urgent tone of voice) that one of the jeeps had broken down and that Sink was going to want an expense report for the inventory as soon as possible. Since he knew Lewis was highly unlikely to do it, Dick figured he would get the paperwork out of the host's desk and put it on his own so he wouldn't forget about it by the time the contestants got back.

This was easier said than done, as his friend's desk was in the state of disarray one might expect from a man with Nixon's blase attitude. He huffed out a small laugh as he found a notepad of nothing but doodles and crude nicknames for his friend's least favorite contestants. He flipped through them out of curiosity before noticing the final page of the pad didn't contain doodles at all, but actual words.

Horror of horrors had Lew actually been working? Dick glanced at the title of the list and saw it read _Possible “Secrets” for the Treasure Box Challenge._ Some of the writing was Harry's and some of it was Nix's. The list contained different pairings, some which had been marked out and shifted around until they resembled the pairs that they had sent out earlier.

Dick skimmed the page, frowning in disapproval at the blatant lies and hard truths that had been put into each box. He already knew the layout of the challenge. Each pair of contestants would find a treasure box that would contain information that was pertinent to at least one of them. The first pair back would win the challenge for their team, and then that team wouldn't need to ever open their boxes.

However for the losing team the contents of the box would be revealed. Each pair would get to vote (individually) whether the information was true or false. If they guessed right, they would be safe from elimination. It was both clever and conniving, two of Nixon's favorite adjectives.

Dick hadn't liked the idea before, but that was nothing in comparison to how he felt as his eyes reached the bottom entry on the list. Right next to the names of Sobel and Webster were several suggestions in both Harry and Nix's handwriting. They had all been crossed out until the last one, clearly in Lewis's style, which said _Winter's told production about what Liebgott has been hiding._

This was exactly what Dick had feared. That Nixon was too far gone on his own ego driven mission, that he was willing to destroy lives for the expense of entertainment and fame. And there was no doubt that if Nixon truly let out the severity of Liebgott's addiction and past that his life could be ruined. How would he have even found out? They had been too careful for anyone to have overheard, or so he had thought...Even so if Nixon had suspected something why hadn't he asked Dick about it?

On the one level Dick felt bad about keeping secrets but this was the reason why. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't trust Lewis with information of this magnitude and severity. This discovery only cemented that belief. In that moment instead of the usual disappointment he had been feeling in regard to Lewis behavior, he was filled with an uglier, seldom present emotion.

Anger.

Anger that Lewis would lie about Dick, implying that he would ever betray someone's trust. But beyond that there was an anger that Dick felt at himself. He hadn't been able to stop Nixon's spiral. Their friendship, their bond, it ultimately wasn't strong enough to bring back the old Nix. The one that Dick had known for years. The one that would never play with people's live like this.

Dick had failed. He didn't know this man anymore. There was nothing left for him there except the pain of watching one of the most important people in his life turn into someone he could barely stand to be around.

He had to get out of there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Shouldn't we head to the beach?” Speirs asked as they finally managed to trudge their way onto the front grounds of the mansion that was their temporary home.

Liebgott was tempted to ignore him completely, his mind too busy swirling with the echoes of his own insecurities and flaws to be able to concentrate on the present. He didn't, however, want to cause his Captain to become so concerned that he felt the need to keep an eye on Joe.

“You go ahead.” Liebgott finally answered. “I'm gonna go get some water.”

Speirs seemed to find this to be a sensible idea and nodded his approval. “See you out there. Hopefully one of our guys will be crossing the finish line any minute.”

Joe said nothing as he watched the other man head towards the gathering spot. When he was sure that the man was far enough away and that the present cameramen were more interested in seeing some action than seeing Joe drink water, Liebgott turned away from the mansion's entrance and began to head toward the tree line that separated the house from the crew's trailers.

He needed to talk to Winters as soon as possible.

This turned out to be easier said than done however as the man wasn't in his office or any of the other work trailers that Liebgott had checked. Frustrated-Joe went back to the mansion to actually get some water before looking any further.

While he pulled a bottle out of the fridge he heard the main door open and went out to investigate. As hard as he had been to look for a minute ago, there Winters now was- creeping in the front door like he was trying to avoid attention. “I was looking for you.” Joe said, causing the judge to start slightly and turn around from where he'd been trying to softly shut the door. He looked upset and it might not have been the best time to ask him for a favor but Joe wasn't exactly swimming in good help these days.

Winters looked down glumly. “Look Joe. I know you don't need me. You put me in my place earlier and I deserved it. Truly. I just wanted to leave this for you.” He waved an envelope in the air before concluding, “Just in case you ever changed your mind.”

Joe frowned, not sure where this was going. “I already have.” He told the other man. Winters glanced up, surprise and not a bit of confusion in his expression. Joe continued. “Look Winters I'm so full of shit. I'm not getting better. I can't get better...or maybe I can..fuck I don't know. But I have to try. Or else I'm just gonna drag down everyone I care about. I think...Web made me realize that. I just….”

Dick sighed upon hearing the creeping desperation in the contestant's voice. “Joe..I'm leaving the show….It's nothing to do with you at all but I just can't stay here anymore.”

Liebgott watched him for a moment, an ugly frown marring his face and for a split second Dick was worried he was going to lash out at him for abandoning him. Finally he said the last thing Dick expected to hear.

“Take me with you.”

 

 

 

 

 

**On the Beach**

 

 

 

Speirs was the only contestant at the beach so far and that was only because he'd been in the lemon Jeep. Nixon frowned at him for a moment before asking “Where's the other one?”

The Red captain's face remained perfectly impassive. “I assume you mean Liebgott. He was borderline dehydrated when we got back so he's grabbing some water. You better get that vehicle fixed. You're lucky it didn't die any further out or he might have needed the infirmary.”

The host was about to take exception to the man's tone when he saw two figures rushing to the makeshift finish line. “BINOCULARS!” He shouted and held out a hand, which Floyd dutifully placed the instrument in. Nixon slid down his aviators and shoved the binoculars to his face. A grin appeared soon after. “Sucks to be you Speirs. It looks like the dead weight started pulling itself.”

He didn't bother to elaborate before turning back to Talbert. “Go figure out where Dick is. I hate explaining this bullshit. Also figure out where Smokey is too, he never radioed to tell us who he was filming.”

Instructions dispersed the intern scattered off and Nixon turned back towards the incoming contestants, pleased at the disgruntled look on their faces.

“SHIT!” Bill exclaimed upon seeing Speirs. “The fuck did you get here so fast?”

“Relax Guarnere.” The man in question replied. “Our Jeep broke down and we had to come back.”

Luz came skidding up behind Bill, sand flinging every which way. “Wait,” he doubled over and took a deep breath of air, weakly reaching out a hand to an unconcerned Bill. “Does that me we won?”

“Very good Luz!” Nixon said with faux cheer. “Your powers of deduction are astounding. Of course I need to see the treasure for proof.”

Bill produced what Ron concluded to be the world's smallest treasure box and all but hurled it at Nixon's smug face. “There's yer stupid treasure! Luz nearly got devoured by an army of goddamn snakes so it better be important!”

“Awww,” Luz wheezed, “I didn't know you cared.” Bill rolled his eyes at that and Speirs frowned. He had been counting on the tension between Bill and Luz to splinter the Blue team even further, a fact he had also taken into consideration when getting Luz off his team. Them patching up their differences was not part of the plan.

“So what's in it?” Speirs asked the two men, both of them shrugging in response.

“We didn't exactly waste time opening it.” Bill said before raising an eyebrow at Nixon. “It's got me kind of curious though. What'd you even do with something that small?”

From far down the beach they heard a call of “THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!”

“Oh Babe's here.” Luz said dryly as the young red-head began to jog into view. Speirs couldn't help but notice he was alone and immediately rose to his feet to inquire after Lipton.

Sensing where this was going Babe held a hand up before Ron could even ask. “So Nix I sorta pumped Smokey full of tranqs 'cause I thought he was a bear or whatever but he's totally fine and he's at the infirmary but Gene said I had to come tell you and Lip wanted me here since we didn't get our dumb treasure in the awesome Cave of Doom.”

Nixon slapped a hand to his face. “Jesus you're all a disappointment. Skinny at least tell me you get some good footage of Smokey knocked out?” The young cameraman gave a thumbs up from behind Babe.

“Did ANYONE GET THEIR GODDAMN TREASURE?” The host proceeded to shout angrily.

Luz frowned. “We did asshole!”

“Ugh you don't count and I'll tell you why in a minute!”

“Cave?” Bill asked Babe. “That sounds awesome.”

“More awesome than being chased by a hawk at least.” Buck said as he and Toye came jogging over to them, Sobel and Webster not terribly far behind.

“A hawk? Are you guys okay?” Luz asked them, his gaze lingering on Jo. The two men nodded with a laugh. Not that Luz knew what was funny. These god forsaken animals would be the death of them. There was a reason this stupid island was uninhabited!

“Okay so you're all here. Yay.” Nixon deadpanned. “Well except Liebgott, but seeing as he and Speirs were one of MANY that failed to get their treasure, we'll just edit his absence out later.”

Nixon then proceeded to collect the only other treasure boxes that had been recovered before ushering all the contestants into a big group and taking the metaphorical stage before them.

“It behooves me to inform you all that as Bill and Luz were the first to make it back to the beach with their treasure the BLUE TEAM have finally won another challenge.” Nixon paused for celebratory noises but there were so few people left that all he got was a weak 'Woot' from Luz. “Having said that, the contents of the boxes are only useful to the losing team. You see each box contains a statement relative to you both. As a pair you have the chance to say whether it is true or false. If one of you knows for certain you can either come clean or lie. However only if you answer correctly will you get the chance to gain immunity from the arena. AND since the Red team SUCKS today and only one of you even got your box, this opportunity is exclusive to Buck and Toye.”

Jo couldn't fight the grin overtaking his face. Yeah it sucked that they had lost but now he actually had the chance to stay out of the arena. What more could he want? He nudged Buck excitedly and his friend grinned back at him.

Nixon made a show of pulling the tiny little treasure box above his head and lowering it to his chest. “You two losers ready?”

“Oh hurry up damn it!” Luz hissed. He was internally sweating over the contents of the box, the outcome was important to him. Not to mention he was a little concerned that it might even be ABOUT him.

The host pulled out a little scroll and rolled it open over his palm. “For a chance at immunity from tonight's arena vote...True or False: Buck has voted to send Toye into the arena...Every. Single. Time.”

“Bullshit.” Jo immediately answered, failing to notice how his friend was stiffening beside him. He didn't even bother to collaborate with his partner. “False, final answer man. Even if he got pissed at me once or twice...no way from the beginning.”

Nixon spared a devious smile for Buck. “How about it Compton?” He knew that Buck had the chance to say it was true and be spared from the vote while Toye's faith in him could doom him to another arena.

“I know it's true.” Buck admitted and everyone turned to gape at him at once. The look on Luz's face in particular could turn him to stone. “But false is my final answer too.”

The host frowned. “Your funeral buddy. Sorry to break it to you Toye but this one is 100% true. I'll see the Red team back here in two hours to cast your votes for the arena.”

“What THE FUCK!?” Luz shouted. Toye hadn't moved an inch, just staring at Buck with a jaw clenched in anger. For a second it looked like it might come to blows but Jo spun around wordlessly and walked away.

George made to go after him but was outpaced by Bill who had began jogging after his friend. Luz didn't feel the same sense of irrational jealously thanks to what Bill had told him earlier. He knew he'd have a chance to talk to Jo later. But right now he really, REALLY didn't want to be near Buck. He began to storm off when the blond grabbed his arm. “Buck seriously leave me alone.” He hissed at the other man.

“Are you even going to give me a chance to explain myself?” Buck asked him with a tortured look on his face.

George rolled his eyes as he continued to walk. “What is there to explain? You're a two faced liar who- OW! Goddamnit what did I just step on?”

Jerking his arm out of Buck's grip Luz looked down to see the discarded treasure boxes that Nixon must have dropped on the beach. He continued to ignore Buck's pleas for forgiveness and knelt down to pick up the one he recognized as his and Bill's.

There was certainly no need to open it since they had won...but after learning what Buck had done Luz couldn't help his curiosity. He popped the tiny lid open and wrenched out the paper.

_Much to Luz's suspicions Bill and Toye do use their morning runs as a cover for a more romantic rendezvous._

'Bullshit' was George's first thought. Besides why would Bill lie to him? Then again...Jo thought his clue was bullshit too. Maybe the more unbelievable it seemed the more likely it actually was to be true? Maybe Bill had fed him all that crap so he'd make a fool of himself to Jo?

“That lying motherfucker!” Luz declared, dropping the note and taking off toward the house. Buck frowned upon realizing that George wasn't talking about him. He picked the paper up and scanned its contents.

“You've got to be fucking kidding me!” He groaned in frustration before following the smaller man.

Babe, Speirs, Sobel and Webster all just stared at the commotion blankly. Babe clapped his hands together. “Alriiiight. Let's go watch this train wreck unfold. Shall we?”

They all began to walk down the same path and simultaneously yelled “NO!” when Sobel made to grab the treasures boxes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Look,” Bill began his attempt to placate a vastly irritated Toye, “you're pissed, you're hurt. I get it. Just don't do anything stupid.”

Jo was pacing back in forth next to the pool. He'd thought about going inside to throw some shit around but decided against it. Maybe out here people would just give him a wide berth and leave him alone. At this point Bill was the only person he wanted to talk to.

“It couldn't just have been him you know? It takes two votes at least. Was he fucking planning this? Is this about Luz?” Toye couldn't stop his speculating and Bill winced.

“Yeah probably.” Bill admitted. “Buck's probably jealous and doesn't like to lose, you know? Guy like that is probably used to not having to work for someone's attention.”

“That's so fucking stupid though.” Jo spit out angrily. “I told him I wouldn't get in between them and I fucking haven't. This is exactly the kind of dramatic bullshit I was trying to avoid.”

The irony of that wasn't lost on Bill. “Yeah man you're telling me. On the upside though, this is your shot at something real with Luz. I mean Buck's voting for you has to make the decision to ditch him easier, right? Besides I talked with him earlier and set him straight about you and me. I think he's over all that jealously bull.”

“YOU LYING SACK OF CRAP!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than appeared an enraged George Luz moving like a little ball of pure fury. Bill had barely a moment to ask what the fuck Luz was on about before the small man barreled into him, sending them both crashing into the pool.

“Oh shit!” Babe exclaimed as the group came to stand behind a red faced Buck who was also watching the scene play out.

Toye put a hand to his head. God fucking damn it. He had wanted to avoid everyone! Now here he was about to be embroiled in more bull crap. He glared down at the two men as they surfaced above the water. “Luz what the fuck are you doing!?” He demanded of his former teammate. Luz just ignored him, turning his anger on Bill, who he was struggling to get a grip on. Fighting in the water had maybe not been his best idea.

“You are a freaking liar Guarnere! Telling me that you and Jo aren't like that. Telling me he's into me when you guys are fucking making out when my back's turned.” Luz accused, a mouth half filled with pool water.

Bill easily swatted away Luz's pathetic attempts to strangle him. “Oh you read that stupid treasure didn't you! That's all made up Luz. Jesus.”

“Yeah that's what you fucking want me to think!”

“I can't take this shit anymore! I'm NOT FUCKING GAY!” Bill shouted. That took the wind out of Luz's sails.

“WHAT!?” He demanded clearly confused.

“Of course he's not gay you moron!” Buck yelled from the other side of the pool. Anger replacing the desperation that had previously been there as he began to stalk around to face Luz. “He's probably just playing some angle, or covering for someone. It's obvious to everyone! Everyone except YOU. Because all you care about is yourself. What you want, who you want. You don't care about me. You probably never did. And I was stupid to care about you you narcissistic little shit. I should never-”

Whatever else he was going to say was cut off as Toye's fist connected sharply with his jaw. It gave a sickening crack and Babe could swear he saw blood fly from Buck's mouth before the tall blond fell into the water with a splash.

Luz and Bill immediately tried to swim out of his way before looking up at Toye in shock. Jo was shaking out his hand, a murderous look on his face. He leaned down and gave Bill a hand out of the pool. Once his friend was back on the concrete Toye gave Luz an intense look. “He doesn't get to talk to you like that. But right now I don't really want to talk to you either until you get your shit together. Don't follow me.”

He turned around and stalked into the house. Luz watched him go with a pained expression. It was so pitiful that Bill rolled his eyes and went to help the other man up while Speirs and Sobel were fishing what appeared to be an unconscious Buck out of the pool.

“C'mon you little psycho.” He said to his estranged teammate. “Let's you and me have a talk.”

“Bill!” Webster shouted from inside the house.

Bill turned back in confusion. “Web I've kind of got my hands full here. What is it?”

David gave an audible swallow. “I went to check on Joe and he's not there. Neither is any of his stuff. It's just gone....He's just gone.”


End file.
